Dave Donnelly: Ultimately, it wasn't even one for the purists to enjoy.

Ultimately, it wasn't even one for the purists to enjoy.

Nobody, not even the most ardent supporter of 'laying down a marker' and 'letting him know he's in a game' could have enjoyed the picture of Séamus Coleman leaving the field on a stretcher.

The stadium big screen producers declined to show a replay of the tackle from Neil Taylor, as did RTÉ and Sky Sports, who carried the game.

After the game, Wales boss Chris Coleman declared Taylor 'isn't that sort of player,' an assessment echoed to the word by Dean Saunders on Sky, both men repeating the phrase over and over.

The Welshman became increasingly defensive under repeat questioning, retorting that ' your boys are not coming off the pitch with halos on their head.'

While Glenn Whelan and Shane Long had been guilty of forearm and shoulder charges on Joe Allen and Ashley Williams respectively, it hadn't appeared an overly aggressive encounter until that point.

If anything, the encounter failed to live up to its billing, as Chris Coleman would later put it, of a 'typical British derby game.'

It had more elements of Ireland's past excursions against technically superior opposition, with Martin O'Neill's side content to cede possession in favour of shackling the illustrious Gareth Bale.

For the first 70 minutes, the Republic of Ireland set about exactly that, with Glenn Whelan and David Meyler sitting in close to the back four to deny him space.

The elegance with which Bale canters around the field, like a refined dressage horse, belies the simplicity of his game – he craves space in behind to use his lightning pace and arrow-like shooting ability.

Ireland simply denied him that space. In doing so, they allowed Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen free rein on the ball, with only half-hearted attempts from Shane Long and Jon Walters to press the ball up the field.

The Real Madrid star was forced to drop deep into midfield in order to provide the sort of creativity lacking in Allen and the ineffective Aaron Ramsey, who appeared to pick up an early dead leg.

Wales seemed intent on making the pitch as wide as possible, as wing-back Taylor and Chris Gunter hugged the touchline in an effort to drag out Ireland's full backs and create the space Bale craves to run into.

Stephen Ward and Seamus Coleman refused to be drawn, however, and Bale took it upon himself to create from deep.

His diagonal ball over the top midway through the first half should have resulted in a chance for the inrushing Taylor, but the Aston Villa man couldn't control the flighted ball with only Randolph in front of him.

Shortly after the break, Bale again dropped deep and, for the one and only time, escaped the attention of Whelan to bend a shot inches wide with Randolph struggling to get across.

Ireland's chances were fewer still. Half-cleared set-pieces led to first time volleys from the edge of the box for Whelan, in the first minute, Meyler and Long. All were sliced off target.

Then came the sending-off, and with it the shift in momentum. Cyrus Christie was introduced for the misfortunate Coleman and targeted the substitute wing-back Jazz Richards.

When Ireland's chance did come, four minutes after the sending-off, it was the familiar image of a volley from the edge of the box.

Meyler teed up James McClean – wearing the 5 shirt in honour of his late friend Ryan McBride, saw his first effort blocked before a second was deflected millimetre wide.

The entire stadium gasped in unison as the ball seemed destined to squeeze inside Wayne Hennessey's post, but somehow it bounced the wrong side of the upright.

Bale could have won it late for Wales as he capitalised on a miscued pass from Richard Keogh to gallop at the defender and unleash a shot, on the stretch, that missed the top corner by a hair.

In one moment, Bale exemplified why O'Neill had adopted such a passive and aesthetically unpleasing approach, but in the end only one ugly image will endure.

Republic of Ireland: Darren Randolph; Seamus Coleman (Cyrus Christie 72), John O’Shea, Richard Keogh, Stephen Ward; David Meyler (Aiden McGeady 80), Glenn Whelan; Jon Walters, Jeff Hendrick, James McClean; Shane Long.

Subs not used: Keiren Westwood (gk), Colin Doyle (gk), Cyrus Christie, John Egan, Alex Pearce, Conor Hourihane, Jonny Hayes, Daryl Horgan, Callum O'Dowda, Kevin Doyle.

Booked: David Meyler (46).

Wales: Wayne Hennessey; Chris Gunter, James Chester, Ashley Williams, Ben Davies, Neil Taylor; Joe Allen, Joe Ledley (Jazz Richards 72); Gareth Bale, Hal Robson-Kanu (Sam Vokes 46), Aaron Ramsey.

Subs not used: Danny Ward (gk), Owain Fon Williams, James Collins, Joseph Walsh, Andy King, Shaun McDonald, David Edwards, Harry Wilson, Tom Bradshaw, Ben Woodburn.

Booked: Aaron Ramsey (57), Gareth Bale (68).

Red Card: Neil Taylor (69).

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli.

Attendance: 51,700 (estimate).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: James McClean (Republic of Ireland).