Poland 1-1 Republic of Ireland: Irish denied win as Poland hit late equaliser
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Aiden O'Brien headed the Republic's goal on his international debut in Wroclaw
Mateusz Klich's late equaliser denied the Republic of Ireland a morale-boosting friendly win after debutant Aiden O'Brien put the visitors ahead.
After a lacklustre first half in Wroclaw, Millwall striker O'Brien nodded the Irish ahead after a superb turn and cross by Callum O'Dowda.
The Republic seemed set to see out the game but Leeds United's Klich levelled with three minutes left.
But, the result was progress for the Irish after the 4-1 thumping by Wales.
The build-up to the game had been dominated by the fall-out from the emergence of an audio recording of Republic left-back Stephen Ward which gave details about the row between assistant boss Roy Keane and squad members Harry Arter and Jonathan Walters back in May.
Arter declared himself unavailable for the Nations League opener in Cardiff and the Poland friendly.
Martin O'Neill strongly defended Keane at a news conference on Monday as the controversy involving the assistant boss put further pressure on the management following the dismal display in Cardiff.
Cyrus Christie was part of a completely altered Republic defence from the Nations League hammering by Wales
Under-strength Republic show resolve
After being without Arter and injured regulars James McClean, Robbie Brady, James McCarthy and Shane Long in Cardiff, the Republic's list of absentees was extended by the withdrawals of Walters, Ward and captain Seamus Coleman for the Wroclaw friendly.
Amid question marks over squad morale after news of Keane's outburst was made public, the 29th-ranked Irish looked to be facing a stern test against the 18th-ranked Poles.
With so many experienced men missing, O'Neill handed a debut to London-born forward O'Brien with the Millwall man's club-mate Shaun Williams and Sheffield United's Enda Stevens also given first starts.
As Derby centre-back Richard Keogh, Sheffield United's John Egan and Burnley's Kevin Long were drafted into defence, keeper Darren Randolph and midfielder Jeff Hendrick were the only regulars in the starting line-up.
But while Poland's lack of urgency meant that the Republic's inexperienced team were largely untested in the opening period, the second period was more competitive.
Bristol City midfielder O'Dowda provided the Republic's second-half impetus as his clever turn and cross following a Keogh pass was finished by O'Brien's glancing near-post header past former Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Despite increasing Polish possession as full-time neared, the Republic remained composed but Klich levelled three minutes from time after an exchange of passes with Arkadiusz Milik.
Republic steady after early Milik miss
Napoli striker Milik missed a glorious chance to nod the Poles into the lead on 10 minutes but the Irish defence was well-organised for the most part as Sheffield United duo Stevens and Egan produced a couple of timely interventions.
O'Brien's sliced effort wide after the Poles had failed to clear a Cyrus Christie throw-in was the sum total of the Republic's first-half attacking endeavour but, after the horrors of Cardiff, it was forward momentum for the Irish.
The Republic visibly grew in the confidence in the 20 minutes after the goal as O'Dowda also tried his luck from long-range shortly after setting up O'Brien to score.
While retreating somewhat in the closing stages, the Republic still seemed set to hold on before the Leeds man's late leveller.
The equaliser came after O'Neill's made five second-half substitutions and the Irish looked a little disorganised in injury-time as the Poles chased a winner.
Midfielder Williams' withdrawal on 73 minutes after his solid shielding role possibly left the Republic defence a little exposed in the closing stages.
What's next?
The Republic will be back in action in the Uefa Nations League when their home game against Denmark on 13 October is followed three days later by the return game with Wales at the Aviva Stadium.
The concluding Nations League game in Denmark on 19 November will come four days after a warm-up contest against Northern Ireland in Dublin.