REP OF IRELAND 3 WALES 0

THE Carling Nations Cup opener was a flat affair for Wales as new boss Gary Speed began his reign with a comprehensive defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

The game lacked any kind of fizz until Darron Gibson’s superb opener on the hour before Damien Duff added a second and substitute Keith Fahey rifled in a late free-kick to kill off the lacklustre visitors.

Ireland is currently in the grip of election fever - it has certainly not caught Nations Cup fever on the evidence of last night, despite the result.

The match clashed with the first live TV debate between the candidates who hope to become the next Taoiseach and the fans voted with their feet at the Aviva Stadium.

The state-of-the-art facility was half-empty, or half-full if you’re an eternal optimist.

And there wouldn’t have been many looking on the bright side among the small but vocal travelling party from the Principality.

Wales have now won just once in the last seven games, a 5-1 friendly victory over Luxembourg, and slumped to 116th in the FIFA world rankings.

They have not beaten the Republic since a 1-0 victory at the RDS in Dublin in February 1992 when Mark Pembridge scored the only goal playing in midfield alongside Speed.

After 85 caps - a record for an outfield player - Speed’s first match in the dugout was not a happy affair.

He was denied the service of 11 players for one reason or another, including star trio Craig Bellamy, Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, and Ireland’s superior class proved decisive.

The hosts were nearly ahead in the second minute when Robert Earnshaw lazily gifted possession to Glenn Whelan on the edge of the box but the Stoke City midfielder’s lob was just off target.

Three minutes later it was Duff’s turn to attempt to embarrass Wayne Hennessey, his cross/shot drifting barely a foot wide of the Wolves man’s far post.

Wales struggled to fashion a chance of any real note and the baffling tactic of pumping long balls in the air for Earnshaw - the smallest man on the pitch - didn’t help.

Hal Robson-Kanu went down in the box but the referee wasn’t interested (much like most of the fans after half an hour) and Earnshaw fired a free-kick hopelessly high over Shay Given’s bar.

At the other end Kevin Doyle had the first shot on target 10 minutes before the break, although his tame effort didn’t match the bright approach play and Hennessey gathered the ball with ease.

And young Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark came close to marking his Irish debut with a goal, only to see his flicked header float agonisingly wide.

Given then got down well to deny Simon Church a minute before the interval but it was definitely Ireland’s half.

Giovanni Trappatoni’s side continued their dominance in the second half as Jonathan Walters forced a good save out of Hennessey and substitute Shane Long fired narrowly over the top.

Then Duff almost headed in after stumbling into the ball before Gibson’s stunner finally brought the game to life on the hour.

The Manchester United midfielder found some space in front of goal and let rip with a right-foot thunderbolt from 25 yards that was in the top corner almost before Hennessey had moved.

And seven minutes later it was game over as Fahey pinched possession off sub Chris Gunter in the box and found Duff before the Fulham flyer found the back of the net with ease.

Fahey’s fabulous free-kick on 83 minutes merely rubbed salt in the wound.

Next up for Speed and Wales is the mouth-watering Euro 2012 clash with England on March 26, before they return to the Irish capital for more Nations Cup action - taking on Scotland on May 25 and Northern Ireland two days later.

Hopefully, the star men will be back by then.

Things can only get better than this.

Ireland: Given, St.Ledger, Clark, O’Shea (O’Dea,  85), Dunne, Whelan (Green, 76), Coleman (Fahey, 59), Gibson (Wilson, 81), Doyle (Long, 45), Walters, Duff (Keogh, 71).

Subs not used: Westwood, Kelly.

Booked: Gibson.

Wales: Hennessey, Eardley (Gunter, 45), Ricketts (Nyatanga, 83), D.Collins, J.Collins, Crofts, Vaughan (Ledley, 61), King, Church, Earnshaw (Easter, 80), Robson-Kanu (Eastwood 67).

Subs not used: Brown, Williams, Dorman, Blake, Vokes, Price.

Referee: Mark Courtney (N.Ireland)

Attendance: 20,900