OKAY THEN, it wasn't what we wanted from this game but we can take some consolation from the fact that this was a much improved performance by an Irish side which, for all its slip ups, still has every chance of qualifying for one of the play off spots.

The fact that we took nothing out of the game was, of course, disappointing, but the timing of the improvement is important for Mick McCarthy for, with Romania already almost certain to take first place in the group, it will restore some confidence ahead of the coming games against teams who have become our real rivals in Group Eight.

We may still have to beat Romania when they come to Dublin for our last outing in the group, but the fact remains, that two of our five remaining matches in this campaign are at home against teams that we should be well capable of beating while the other two, in Iceland and Lithuania, both offer the prospect of vital points towards qualification.

In this game, possibly for the first time in this qualifying campaign, there seemed to be a genuine understanding among all of the players of just how they were supposed to be playing as a team. The reversion to a flat back four had an obvious galvanising effect on the team with the defensive players looking far more comfortable with their roles and those in midfield offered a platform on which to build a territorial supremacy.

The result was that we came out on top in several key areas of the pitch and, by the end, had probably created more chances in front of goal than the home side managed.

Having said that, our best chance of the game was the penalty which followed a wonderful through ball by David Connolly for Ray Houghton but which Roy Keane failed to put safely away. In those sort of circumstances, it is always admirable that a player steps forward and volunteers to take on the responsibility, but it still seems a little odd that Steve Staunton, the most natural dead ball kicker in the side, was passed over.

At the other end another error, a rare one on the night by Ian Harte as he attempted a headed clearance, allowed the Romanians to get the only goal of the game. Having played the position for so long himself, Mick McCarthy will doubtless have told Harte and his defensive partner, Kenny Cunningham, precisely what he wanted to see from them in that sort of situation and the Irish manager will have been terribly disappointed, that a fundamental slip up like that ended up costing us a point.

Before the game the decision to play those two at the heart of the Irish defence had looked to be quite a gamble on the part of McCarthy. As it turned out, however, both enhanced their reputations with strong displays, the only pity being that Harte will be left to rue what was basically a poor piece of judgment under pressure.

Elsewhere in the side Connolly was another man to impress. The young Watford striker appeared to have been handed an impossible task, up front by himself away to a team that hadn't conceded a goal in five games and yet, against all, the odds, the youngster managed to make an impact on the proceedings.

His understanding of the position and of what was required, was good throughout, while his willingness to run tirelessly for those around him and make himself available to the midfielders as they came under pressure, was more than could have been expected from a man with his lack of experience at this level. His was a performance that will do much to console McCarthy as he contemplates the rest of the qualifying campaign.

Connolly's pass for Houghton was probably his outstanding moment of the game but Houghton's run on to it was simply one of many moments which underlined his value to this Irish team. Alongside Andy Townsend and Roy Keane, Houghton gives the team considerably more balance through his use of the freedom that their strength allows him.

He has been sorely missed in previous games when ruled out by injury we have only won one of four in his absence and his presence, especially in Dublin where teams will come to defend, will be of vital importance through the closing stages of this group as McCarthy looks to secure second place by stringing some wins together against the weaker tennis.

Less impressive, however, were McCarthy's choices for the wide midfield roles. In Gary Kelly's case his lack of recent experience of receiving the ball in those sort of positions accounts for some of the problem, while Mark Kennedy can put some of his difficulties down to the lack of first team action he has seen this season at Anfield.

For McCarthy, the whole Romanian trip will have been quite a traumatic one. He will, however, be encouraged by the outcome and he may view last night's defeat in Bucharest as a potential turning point for his team, a performance on which to build for the remaining five games and one which will have provided his players with a much needed injection of confidence.