Composed Ireland able to reflect on night for the ages

It wasn't quite the shot heard around the world but John O'Shea's 94th minute goal in Gelsenkirchen was so unexpected that everyone in the stadium was momentarily stunned. A split second passed between the Irish fans accepting that what their eyes had seen had, in fact, happened. Then, bedlam reigned. The German players seemed slightly dazed and disconcerted by the sight of the Irish players in exuberant celebration, something they hadn't seen before. "Extremely annoying," was Joachim Löw's initial reaction. For the Irish team, though, the night was flipped from the usual story of yet another gutsy defeat to a rush of pure elation.

"The feeling in the dressing room was that it felt like a win," said Irish captain Robbie Keane.

“When you score in the last second of the game, then it’s full credit to every player. It was always going to be a difficult game. You were playing against a team that was always going to be better than you possession-wise and it needed for the players to work their absolute socks off and show that fighting spirit and we got our rewards in the end.”

Results can disguise a multitude of sins. But while the Germans scattered precise, thoughtful passes around the pitch all evening and dominated possession, the organisation and composure within the Irish team was striking. David Forde was reminiscent of nobody so much as Manuel Neuer in his command and presence from the back and the Irish were forced into so many back-passes that he got to play more football than some of his outfield team mates. Ireland made mistakes, passes went astray and the intricate runs of Karim Bellerabi and Mario Götze up front demanded relentless concentration. But even after Toni Kroos pushed Germany into the lead with a wonderful strike, the Irish team just stuck to the plan. There was no cribbing, no dropping heads and a marked refusal to be intimidated by the occasion.

"It was just about keeping your shape," explained Jon Walters, who fairly tenderised Mat Hummels over the course of a ferocious aerial battle.

"We've all played football a long time... we all know what to do. David Meyler at right back has made some really important blocks. Playing in front of him, you just have to keep talking to him, keep him going. And I'm not a natural right winger and he's not a natural right back. But here we were doing it against the world champions."

“Doing it” in all sorts of ways. The opportunities to play ball were limited, with the Germans pressuring the Irish passes and forcing long, hopeful balls for Walters and Keane to chase down. The jewels were of an uncut nature- the rigorous organisation of the back four, the work-ethic and bravado of James McClean and Stephen Quinn’s constant harassment most of the prized young guns of German football. And pretty as the German approach play was, they struggled to infiltrate the Irish defensive system before Kroos produced a moment of brilliance.

“I think that was more down to us than them,” Keane said.

“The shape from everyone was very good and it was more us keeping them at bay rather than them being poor.”

The most remarkable passage occurred in the final ten minutes, when Ireland responded to Martin O'Neill's urgent sign language and had the temerity to press the world champions. They somehow found an extra burst of energy to chase ball recklessly and cleverly and so forced the Germans to show that they, too, are susceptible to a heavy touch and rushed pass when the heat comes on. As Löw admitted, a 'nervousness' spread throughout the German players as they tried to close out their 1-0 lead. Ireland had chances then and by the time Wesley Hoolahan delivered the cross which led to O'Shea's goal, the Germans were listening hard for the full time whistle. They'd had enough of the famed Irish spirit which Löw went to pains to praise this week.

“The Germans are a better team than us,” Keane shrugged.

“There is no getting away from that. Possession-wise they keep it a lot but if you don’t work hard for each other you have no chance of doing anything and we got our rewards in the end. I think we have that spirit back now. I wouldn’t say it was gone before but we lacked a little bit of belief.”

That conviction will carry them through to what is a tantalising appointment in Glasgow on November 14th. Ireland versus Scotland is a rivalry teeming with historical and contemporary connections but haven't met since Mark Lawrenson threaded a vital shot through a fog of players in Hampden Park in 1987. Next month's qualifier will bring the Irish to Paradise.

“Yeah, it will be nice to go back.” Keane said of Parkhead, where he spent some time on loan to Celtic five seasons ago.

“I haven’t been back there since... but it is a special place for any Irish player to go. And there is a belief...a strong belief in the dress-room that we can go anywhere and get a result.”