Soccer

Brendan Crossan: Irish play-off glory capped a memorable year

Brendan Crossan looks back on a year that promised so little for Ireland, but ended with them delivering qualification to Euro 2016

The Republic of Ireland's Shane Long fires home the winner to sink Germany in October
The Republic of Ireland's Shane Long fires home the winner to sink Germany in October The Republic of Ireland's Shane Long fires home the winner to sink Germany in October

THE high point of the year arrived so unexpectedly on Thursday, October 8.

Germany rolled into town with all the afforded nonchalance of world champions needing only a point to secure their own Euro 2016 finals place. It was one of those rare Dublin nights when football made no sense. The visitors owned the ball and the Irish players gallantly chased it. But when the Germans reached Ireland's goal they couldn't hit a barn door.

With 20 minutes remaining, Republic of Ireland substitute Shane Long latched onto Darren Randolph's long punt, outstripping Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng in the process, before thundering a right-foot rocket past Manuel Neuer and finding the far corner of Germany's net. The moment Germany’s net bulged was beyond perfect. It felt too unruly, too ridiculous to be real.

Nights like these were made for the Aviva Stadium. Although there were 20 minutes plus stoppage-time still to play, there was something preordained about the night. No matter how many times Germany opened up the Irish defence, they were never destined to score...

There were other high points on the rocky road to France. Like the time a group of Irish reporters were huddled around a lap-top in Estadio Algarve, awaiting the kick-off to the Republic of Ireland's qualifier with no-hopers Gibraltar, and watching the final nerve-shredding moments of Georgia's 1-0 win over Scotland in Tbilisi.

From an Irish perspective, Faro was a much happier place as the plucky Georgians held out for a famous win - a result that threw Group D wide open again. That was September - a million miles away from the start of the year when the Republic's chances of qualification seemed forlorn.

Gordon Strachan's men had a definite spring in their step and looked a far better bet to finish in third place behind likely automatic qualifiers Germany and Poland. The FAI's heavy investment in Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane didn't look as though it was going to pay-out.

Up until that famous night in October, the Republic had a slight limp throughout qualification. Their first qualifier of the year - at home to Poland at the back end of March - was far from convincing.

Trailing to a first-half goal, the Irish huffed and puffed throughout the second-half before the ball broke kindly for super-sub Shane Long, who prodded the ball home from eight yards out in stoppage-time. With a poacher’s finish, the former Tipperary minor hurler had single-handedly saved Ireland’s qualification hopes from a spectacular mid-term collapse.

While there was much to admire in Ireland's staying power and ability to score late goals, O'Neill’s team had still plenty of convincing to do. If anything, faith in the former Celtic and Aston Villa manager waned considerably over the summer months after Ireland's morale-sapping 1-1 home draw with Scotland in June.

If the Germany win was the high point, the result and performance against Scotland was the lowest under O'Neill. It was billed as a must-win game for the Republic. It was the scruffiest of games.

Jonathan Walters, Ireland's best player in the campaign, scored an off-side goal before Shaun Maloney's heavily deflected shot nestled in Ireland's net just after the restart.

Up to that point, O'Neill's slightly odd team selections - particularly in the forward line - were generally vindicated and the choice and timing of substitutions were always good. But his decision to withdraw Wes Hoolahan - the team's creative hub - for the final quarter of an hour against the Scots was met with derision. The manager insisted the team had to go 'longer' to try and nick a goal - but it wasn't the most persuasive of cases.

With the Irish languishing in fourth place in Group D and tough autumn assignments against Germany (h) and Poland (a) on the horizon, not to mention the team's patchy performances, there was not a lot to be hopeful about.

The usual suspects on RTÉ aimed a few broadsides at O'Neill. His two-year reign had been the proverbial slow-burner. Even after Georgia's famous home win over Scotland in September, a mere 27,000 fans turned up to the Aviva the following Monday evening to watch the Republic reestablish their Euro 2016 challenge with a nervy win over the Georgians - a game that is fondly remembered for a brilliant piece of dribbling by Jeff Hendrick and a close-range finish from Walters.

As for the Scots, early September proved fatal as they lost back-to-back games to Georgia and Germany and never recovered. It was also during this crucial period O’Neill - and his eternally optimistic analysis of Group D - clawed back some credibility within media circles. The Republic’s fate was back in their own hands, even if it didn’t seem like it with fixtures against Germany and Poland just around the corner.

In normal circumstances, Germany should have been 3-0 or 4-0 up before Shane Long changed the course of history. Mezut Ozil missed the target when it seemed harder to miss. Boateng header over. John O’Shea somehow denied Ikay Gundogan a certain goal with an incredible block. The worst miss of the lot came in the 55th minute when substitute Andre Schurrle blazed high and wide.

Even after Long’s divine intervention, Thomas Muller and Hummels squandered glorious opportunities. But unbeknown to the Germans, the history of the night was already written long before the final whistle.

Remarkably, a 2-2 draw or higher against the Poles in Warsaw three days later would have been enough for the Republic to win automatic qualification. But Robert Lewandowski carried his prolific club form onto the international scene and it was his bullet header before half-time that gave Poland a 2-1 win and pushed the Republic into familiar territory: the play-offs.

On paper, Bosnia-Herzegovina looked the toughest draw of the lot for Martin O’Neill’s side. As far as play-offs go, it turned out a walk in the park for the Irish. Amid the fog of Zenica and the euphoria in Dublin a few nights later, Bosnia played played like they fancied a summer holiday rather than playing at another major finals.

The most impressive aspect of Ireland’s play over the two legs was their game management. To play in such a high-stakes game and make so few unforced errors was credit to the players and the management team's meticulous planning.

It took 12 competitive games for O’Neill and Keane to finally put their stamp on the Republic of Ireland team. Much-needed craft was added to the mix midway through the campaign thanks to the inclusion of Hoolahan.

Seamus Coleman finished the campaign strongly. Darren Randolph’s call-up midway through the Germany clash for the injured Shay Given was seamless. Richard Keogh and Ciaran Clark proved there is sufficient depth in central defence ahead of next summer’s Euro finals. Occasionally erratic, Robbie Brady grew in the latter part of the campaign. James McCarthy showed some encouraging signs too, while Jonathan Walters typified all that is good about this Irish team. And Shane Long used his frustration at not starting many games in the right manner.

Just like in qualification, the Euro 2016 draw made in Paris earlier this month wasn't kind to the Republic of Ireland. Italy, Belgium and Sweden look daunting opposition.

Time for some more of Martin O'Neill's hypnotic optimism.