At this late stage of the season, a victory is all you can ask for. Three points is a nice way to finish what has been a very long season for many of the Irish players and Mick McCarthy couldn't be happier with this win over Macedonia, especially after some of the results we saw in the other group over the weekend.

Most importantly, it puts us back up at the top of the group, jointly with Yugoslavia, and that means there is plenty to look forward to in the games ahead next season. We're still not sure what will happen about Yugoslavia and the missed game, but it puts us in a very good position for qualification or if not, of making the play-offs at the very least.

Macedonia were a neat and tidy side and played some well-organised football, but I still think that when we play them away from home there is not too much to fear. The Republic certainly earned the points and it was always going to be a case of having to work hard to get the result here. For a start, Macedonia seemed happy to just sit back behind the ball and that made it difficult to create a whole lot of space among the forwards. Until you score that first goal, it's going to be worrying and I sensed the crowd were feeling that by half-time. That can often transfer itself to the players and thoughts of a scoreless evening are sure to come creeping in, especially after you see so many chances not quite making the net.

There was certainly no problem creating the chances and we saw some very good opportunities in the first half that could well have been finished off. Gary Breen had a shot cleared off the line and Robbie Keane came very close as well, but once the goal did come then a lot of tension was released.

I was always confident that it was only a matter of time because the Irish were nowhere near playing desperation football, at any stage. They were still passing well and trying to get Mark Kennedy or Damien Duff out wide which was making all the difference. We were also causing problems from the near-post corners. For the goal itself, the goalkeeper managed to clear the initial corner and then had to readjust which, when the ball got played in, made the difference for Niall Quinn. He was left alone and just needed the faintest of glances.

It was quite fitting that Quinn scored the goal because I really thought he was on top of his game and in outstanding form. The team as a whole performed in a very professional way. Most importantly they did exactly what Mick McCarthy expected of them. I don't think you can look at these sort of games at this stage of the season and say that we didn't perform very well. It was just a case of getting the points, regardless. If you play well, and certain individuals play outstandingly, that's nothing more than a bonus.

Stephen Carr confirmed the rapid improvement that we've seen him make under George Graham and Gary Breen showed us what he really is capable of at this level. Mark Kinsella was as good as we now expect him to be and if anything, he raised his standard a little more last night. After that, there was another inspiring performance by Quinn.

Whether there was any downside really doesn't matter because the team display as a whole was good enough. Some players will always have a better day than others, but I think everyone performed adequately and that can be even more pleasing for the manager. We made use of the fact that we played with two wingers and that was refreshing. It shows you that we can stretch teams and there was a lesson there.

It was quite the opposite for Macedonia because they never really gave themselves a chance to score. We didn't see much action at all around the Irish goal and Alan Kelly hardly made a save. We may have seen their one real chance hit the bar, but any opposition will always have their chances. As I said, there were a few moments when the team fell asleep a little, but it was never anything dangerous. Keane's big chance that hit the post could have finished it off but it didn't really matter anyway because by then it was just a matter of keeping the three points. Everybody was capable of pulling back into position and it more or less became a matter of just waiting for the final whistle.

Looking ahead to the next game, I think that they'll have to come at us now in Skopje and there is no way they can afford to have everybody behind the ball. If anything, with the players we have, we could expose them even more away from home. The fact that Georgi Hristov only came on towards the end tells you something about how they approached the game. They obviously gambled on taking a point at Lansdowne Road, but that backfired and they really will have to push forward the next time.

Considering the staggered build-up for this match with all the hassle over Yugoslavia, there is a lot to be satisfied about. Whatever you say, the points are there before the next game. A satisfying performance that becomes even more so when you think there was no Roy Keane, no Steve Staunton and no Jason McAteer. The result achieved everything that was aimed for and as a manager, you can't ask for more than that.