Ken Early: Changing of the guard as new generation delivers

The last time Ireland qualified for the Euros, we learned to be careful what we wished for.

A team that was two years past its peak ultimately couldn’t cope with a difficult draw. The Irish XI that last night became the 22nd qualifier for the European Championships in France featured only one player who started a game at Euro 2012. Ireland have reached the tournament with a new and improving generation.

In a match between two teams that were fairly evenly matched in terms of technical ability, there were two things that made the difference.

The most important of these was Ireland's greater mental strength under pressure. But, given how furiously we railed against Martin Hansson's failure to spot Thierry Henry's handball in Paris six years ago, we should also note that Ireland had the benefit of a generous handball decision from referee Bjorn Kuipers.

Still, you make your own luck. Ireland’s fans have been making a lot more noise in this campaign, partly because the team have given them a bit more to get excited about.

Last night, the insistent chanting of the Bosnian ultras seemed to stir the Irish crowd into a concerted response. Anyone walking down Bath Avenue past the stadium would have known this game was a big one.

The roar

There’s a football cliché that nobody has ever seen a crowd score a goal, but we’ve all seen them win plenty of penalties.

On 23 minutes the roar from three sides of the Aviva probably helped to make up Kuipers' mind that Ervin Zukanovic had blocked Daryl Murphy's attempted cross with his hand.

The replay showed that Zukanovic’s arm had been close to his body and the penalty award was harsh on Bosnia. Walters sent Begovic the wrong way from the spot.

The injustice infuriated at least one Bosnian defender: Emir Spahic, the central defender who was sacked by Bayer Leverkusen in April after headbutting a steward in the aftermath of their defeat to Bayern Munich.

Spahic had already been booked in the 19th minute for a bad foul on Hendrick. He spent the few minutes after Walters’ goal apparently trying to get himself sent off. First he kicked the ball away after another decision went against him, then he booted Hoolahan in the back off the ball, then he caught Walters with a nasty forearm to the brainstem. Spahic was clearly melting down and, from an Irish perspective, you wondered whether his presence on the field might actually be more damaging to Bosnia than his absence would be if he was sent off.

Narrow lead

The second half began with a spell of pressure from Bosnia, who knew that one goal could force extra time.

Ireland were in the same position in which Poland had found themselves in last month’s final group game in Warsaw – clinging to a narrow lead, reluctant to take risks, easy prey for seeping doubt.

Before the game had reached the hour mark, O’Neill decided to act to change the ominous pattern of the game.

Off came Murphy and Hoolahan, on came Long and McClean. The idea was to add more energy and increase Ireland’s threat on the counterattack. At first you wondered if the side might miss the footballing intelligence of Hoolahan, particularly when McClean took only three minutes to pick up a booking of the campaign for a blatant shove on Medunjanin.

Their joker

Just when it looked as though we were in for an agonising last 20 minutes, Ireland were rescued by their joker, Spahic. The Bosnian defender kicked Walters savagely in the guts as the Irish striker jumped for a high ball. Walters writhed on the ground while Spahic protested his innocence. Amazingly, Kuipers again kept the yellow card in his pocket. It was as though he had watched the penalty decision back at half-time and decided to go easy on Bosnia from that point on.

Instead, Spahic found himself the victim of a more poetic form of justice. From the resulting free-kick, Brady swung in a ball which was reached by Vranjes, who stretched a toe to divert it away from the danger area. He succeeded only in looping the ball to the far post, where Walters, totally unmarked, volleyed past Begovic.

That was the end of the contest, and both teams knew it.

Instead of a trial of nerves, the last 20 minutes became a celebration.

Match-winner Walters was drowned out by the roars of the crowd as he tried to answer the first question in his pitchside interview. New heroes have grown up for a new generation, and Ireland go back to the European Championships with renewed hope.