World is in our hands now

BRAVE DISPLAY PROVED WE SHOULDN'T FEAR QUALIFIERS

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This was a superb performance from Ireland better than anything I have seen for a very long time.

Passionate, energetic, potent, it was a display that redeemed the Ireland coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, a man I have not been shy to criticise.

When he came into the job a year ago, he talked about making Ireland hard to beat.

Here was evidence of an idea being transferred from a coach's head onto the pitch.

Because let's give praise where it is due: Ireland were hard to play against last night.

They were easy on the eye, too, and easy to like, producing a display that reminded you of everything we like to pride ourselves on as a football nation.

All our good points were based on what we did in midfield. We pressed. Wel hustled. We harried. To steal a line from Jack Chalrton's era, we put 'em under pressure.

And we did it with two men, Will Smallbone and Jason Knight, who delivered outstanding displays.

All this was needed because for the last little while it has become clear that we have an outstanding goalkeeper in Caoimhin Kelleher, several top class defenders, and three outstanding forwards.

But another uncomfortable truth was that we struggled in midfield.