How stands the Heimir Republic as Ireland's 2024 programme draws to a close?
The mood was fairly upbeat in the away end urinals at half-time in Wembley last Sunday. The feeling among the jacks-going public was one of almost giddy satisfaction, fans wondering 'could it be... could it be one of those nights?'
Notwithstanding the tribal sensitivities, the game was already pretty low-stakes from an Irish perspective following our gratuitously lucky win over Finland the previous Thursday. A shot to nothing, as it were.
Ireland had succeeded in preventing any shots at anything in the first half at Wembley, reducing England to long passages of sterile and lateral possession play.
Nathan Collins had looked the part in the Paul McGrath 1990-91 sitting midfielder role. After the alarmingly open defensive display on Thursday, Ireland demonstrated a peak-Trap era solidity and vigilance in the opening 45 minutes. The Irish support in the ground was locked in to the defensive effort, belief growing with every passing minute where nothing much happened.
Unfortunately, the evening took off in another direction entirely.
The sending off/penalty combo is a sickener at the best of times and Ireland certainly weren't in any fit state to weather what followed. Rarely has the gap between 'we're looking good here' and 'this could get ugly' been so short.
The second half was too much for several in the away end to endure and many were back in the warmth of the Arch Bar before the ref mercifully blew the final whistle, essentially - or so it seemed - after being asked by the players.
The home fans - aside from loudly booing Amhráin na bhFiann, which seems to be part of the accepted protocol at this point - came across more bourgeois and less Billy
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