WORLD CUP QUALIFYING GROUP EIGHT:NOEL HUNT'S claim to having been the scorer of the Republic of Ireland's equaliser against Italy in Bari on Wednesday more or less collapsed yesterday when new television footage of the goal established beyond any reasonable doubt that Robbie Keane had, in fact, got the last touch on the ball.

The Reading striker said after the game he had gotten a toe to the ball and that after it had flown into the net he had started to celebrate only to realise the other players had followed Keane. At that point, he said, he followed the others but added as he joined in the celebrations and shouted that the goal was his, the Tottenham striker merely laughed.

Subsequently, the 26-year-old suggested Keane had inadvertently kicked him after the actual shot had been struck and that he would take the matter further in order to establish it had in fact been his goal.

The FAI appeared to disagree and in view of the fact the referee and official match observer had listed Keane as the scorer, their support would have been necessary if the record books were to be rewritten.

Hunt’s problems were compounded by the fact that attempts to verify his version of events proved difficult. On Thursday, the available recordings were inconclusive with replays of the goal shot from different angles suggesting different scorers. But RTÉ television yesterday came up with new footage which left little room for doubt that, while Hunt may have got the first touch, Keane was the one who turned the ball past Gianluigi Buffon and earned Ireland a potentially vital point.