Welcome along, folks. It’s an hour from kick-off and fans are beginning to arrive here at the Aviva. Ireland face Bosnia Herzegovina this afternoon before departing for Montecatini for their pre-Euro 2012 training camp so let’s hope a decent crowd turn out.

Bosnia were pipped to top spot of their qualifying group thanks to Samir Nasri’s late penalty in Paris and lost 6-2 on aggregate in their play-off against Portugal, meaning they won’t be travelling to Poland & Ukraine for next month’s finals.

Read Giovanni Trapattoni’s quotes on Ireland’s opponents here.

What should Trap be looking to get out of this fixture? Read Miguel Delaney on the three things Irish fans would like to see this afternoon here.

Biggest cheer of the day so far as the Bosnia team arrive out onto the pitch.  Sounds like they’ve got support in numbers.

News just in, Darren O’Dea will start in place of Sean St Ledger, who had been named in Trap’s starting XI yesterday but is now on the bench. The teams are as follows:

Ireland: Westwood, McShane, Dunne, O’Dea, Ward, Duff, Gibson, Whelan, McClean, Keane (c), Doyle. Subs: Forde, St Ledger, McGeady, Andrews, Kelly, Walters, Hunt, Long, Cox, Fahey.

Bosnia Herzegovina: Begovic, Jahic, Pandza, Mujdza, Lulic, Medunjanin, Rahimic, Pjanic, Misimovic (c), Ibisisevic, Dzeko. Subs: Sehic, Zahirovic, Stevanovic, Ibricic, Alispahic, Vrancic, Svraka, Vranjes.

These two have just been shown on the big screen…

YouTube credit: threeireland

James McClean making his first senior start in a green jersey today. Anyone fancy him at 14/1 to score first? Might be worth a cheeky tenner.

Teams emerging onto the pitch.

Minute’s applause for former great of Irish football who have passed away and it’s Keane and Doyle to get us underway.

Early roar for McClean’s first touch as he attempts to get on the end of a one-two but is beaten to the ball. As expected, he’s started out left with Duff on the right.

Bosnia’s Vedad Ibisevic has just fired wide after getting on the end of Miralem Pjanic’s cross. The Stuttgart striker had originally cut the ball back across Keiren Westwood but there were no team-mates on hand to convert the chance.

Super chance for the visitors, with Edin Dzeko involved, results in Haris Medunjanin shooting over from 15 yards out.

Robbie Keane is on the ground meanwhile after taking a knee to the ribs.

The home crowd are up in arms after Glenn Whelan goes down in the box under a challenge from his club mate Asmir Begovic.

Penalty should have been given but Swiss referee Ibrahim Sehic points to a goal kick.

Dzeko looks to get a strike away inside the box but Richard Dunne puts in a vital block, then clears a cross out for a corner moments later.

Whelan floats a ball out to the left and McClean takes a touch, then swips past two challenges. Darron Gibson, who has been calling for a pass on the edge of the box, has a go but shoots wide.

Keane has just won a free-kick up in the corner as his name rings out.

Paul McShane does his best Cafu impression, kicking the ball beyond Senad Lulic and going around him to win Ireland a corner. The resulting set-piece is cleared but when Keane takes a pass on the turn, his strike isn’t a bad one.

They’re getting nearer and Duff’s latest attempt fizzes past Begovic’s post.

A good period of the possession for Ireland comes to end when Whelan sprays a pass astray. Roma midfielder Pjanic tries his luck from distance with a decent hit, which Westwood has to scurry across his line to keep out.

There’s an air of expectancy when McClean gets on the ball and he has done his chances of getting game time in Poland no harm during the opening 45 minutes.

On the stroke of half-time, Ireland have their two best opportunities to take the lead. First, Keane holds play up well and slips a terrific little pass into the path of Duff but Begovic is off his line quick to snuff out the danger.

When the corner is whipped in, defender Darren O’Dea connects with his header but the Bosnia stopper is once again in the right place.

Half-time: Ireland 0-0 Bosnia Herzegovina

Credit: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Irish players back out and Aiden McGeady will replace Duff, while Keith Andrews is on for Whelan. Jon Walters, Shane Long and Simon Cox have all been warming up in the last few minutes. Trap said yesterday that he would make seven substitutions so expect to see a few more before long.

Bosnia have brought on Miroslav Stevanovic and Damir VrancicMedunjanin and Elvir Rahimic.

Second half has started.

With his first touch, McGeady CRACKS THE POST. Doyle heads a free-kick from the left back across goal and the Spartak Moscow winger is unlucky not to score.

McGeady, who has taken up a postion on the left with McClean switching wings, shows neat footwork to go by a couple of defender and get his cross in.

Oh, the first yellow card of the day has gone to sub Damir Vrancic and Bosnia have brought on Adnan Zahirovic for Mensur Myjdza by the way.

A Pjanic free-kick very nearly catches Westwood off-guard but he manages to get a hand up to divert it out for a corner. The closest they’ve looked to scoring so far.

A pass by McGeady is fired into Keane but the LA Galaxy forward can’t wriggle his pay through a crowd of opponents and he is dispossessed.

That’s the skipper’s last action today – he makes way for Shane Long and strike partner Doyle is also withdrawn for Jon Walters.

There’s smoke blowing through the media box… Is someone having a BBQ?

Andrew has scuffed a shot well wide when there were a couple of options on for him but space is beginning to open up at the back.

St Ledger, originally named in the starting line-up but relegated to the bench before kick-off, has just been introduced for Richard Dunne.

OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE: 37,100.

I’m beginning to think we may not see a goal today. Begovic beats Long in a race to the ball when the West Brom man runs off the shoulder of Bosnia’s last man. When McGeady then whips a cross into the danger area, Walters rises highest but smacks the crossbar with his header.

GOAL! Ireland 1-0 Bosnia Herzegovina (Shane Long)

What did I tell you? I never lost faith. McGeady steps onto his left foot and delivers to the back post where Long directs the ball past the helpless Begovic. The place erupts.

Seconds after breaking the deadlock, Walters is inches away from putting Ireland two ahead but his fellow Potter Begovic gets a block in.

During the celebrations, Stephen Kelly has taken the place of Paul McShane. He may not be everyone’s favourite player but the 26-year-old put in a solid display today.

Dinamo Zagreb’s Mehmed Alispahic gets beyond the Irish defence but his end product isn’t as good as the build-up and St Ledger lets the ball run through his legs and out of play.

Super bit of link up play by McGeady and Walters before the former again picks out Long at the back post but Begovic keeps him at bay. When the ball is recycled, Andrews heads over.

Full-time: Ireland 1-0 Bosnia Herzegovina

The legendary Jimmy Magee is standing in front of me. That’s just made my day.

So Ireland get the result they were looking ahead of their departure for Poland via Italy and Budapest. Apart from the win, there were plenty of positives to take from the game. Some of the Bosnian lads may have already been on their holidays, but the team performance was professional and disciplined from the starters and those introduced.

McClean, McShane, Gibson, Long and Walters, who may not be expected to start on June 10, all made real claims for starting places. Trap says he already has his first XI picked but competition for places is certainly stiff.

That’s all from me, but we’ll have a match report, player quotes and plenty of reaction online shortly.