Published Saturday, 05 September 2009
The striker glanced home Damien Duff's 83rd-minute cross to claim his 40th senior international goal and three precious points, just as it looked as thought Ireland would have to settle for a fourth successive draw on the road.
Keane's winner came as news of victories for Group Eight leaders Italy and third-placed Bulgaria filtered through, and will send the Republic into their remaining games - against the Italians and Montenegro at Croke Park next month - knowing second place is there for the taking, and top spot is not beyond them.
Ireland have played a game more than both the reigning world champions and the Bulgarians, but remain just a point adrift of the former and five ahead of the latter.
Giovanni Trapattoni's men were in front within five minutes when Kevin Doyle fired home a fifth-minute opener, but Marios Elia levelled after 30 minutes after Shay Given had pulled off a fine save to deny Ioannis Okkas.
Ireland's response was swift and concerted, and they might have regained the lead had Andrews' 36th-minute effort from distance been a foot closer to Avgousti's right post or had Kevin Kilbane been able to keep his header a fraction lower seconds later.
Konstantinos Charalambides headed over at the other end five minutes before the break, but Trapattoni's men left the pitch at half-time knowing the game was very much there for them to win.
There was an anxious moment for the visitors, however, with 61 minutes gone when Okkas looked to have got marginally the better of Dunne as the pair raced into the box shoulder to shoulder and the striker ended up on the floor.
But Austrian referee Thomas Einwaller was not impressed, much to the annoyance of the locals.
Trapattoni replaced Hunt with Aiden McGeady with 23 minutes remaining, although the winger's first contribution was to concede a corner from which Charalambides should have done better.
Cyprus substitute Nektarios Alexandrou carved his way into the Republic's penalty area within a minute of his arrival and might have caused serious damage had O'Shea, who looped a header just over seconds later at the other end, not intervened in the nick of time.
But it was left to Keane to do what he has done so often in the past, beating Avgousti to Duff's 83rd-minute cross to glance a header home and send the travelling fans into raptures.
