The 27-year-old Ireland captain struck after just three minutes when his shot was deflected past goalkeeper Robinson Zapata by defender Elvis Gonzalez.

But it was the contribution of goalkeeper Dean Kiely, retired from international football five years ago, that proved decisive as he produced a string of excellent saves to keep the South American's attack at bay.

Ireland took the lead with only three minutes gone when Liam Miller's tenacity allowed him to feed Keane on the edge of the box and his shot was deflected past keeper Zapata by Gonzalez.

With Keane and Kevin Doyle linking well in attack and Andy Keogh and Aiden McGeady repeatedly swapping wings to keep the South Americans guessing, Trapattoni's men put the Colombian defence under pressure on several occasions with the Tottenham man curling a 13th-minute shot just wide of the far post.

But the Colombian's began to liven up and Kiely was forced into action to keep out Juan Carlos Escobar's bullet header on the half-hour, and then in first-half injury-time, pulled off a superb double stop to deny first Falcoa Garcia and then Edixon Perea.

In the meantime, Miller and Richard Dunne had cleared off the line from Garcia and Fredy Guarin, respectively, to preserve Kiely's clean sheet.

Kiely was in action again with 61 minutes gone to keep out Macnelly Torres's fizzing left-foot drive after he had been played in by Perea.

Colombia battered away as the clock ran down with substitute Giovanni Hernandez playing a glittering cameo role, but with the men in front of Kiely protecting him better than they had earlier in the game, Ireland rarely looked like surrendering their lead.