The soccer match delayed by war finally kicked off at Lansdowne Road last night, where the Republic of Ireland beat Yugoslavia 2-1 to put them top of their European Championship qualifying group.
Three months ago, when it was originally scheduled against the backdrop of the war in Yugoslavia, it seemed an insignificant fixture for Irish fans. Last night they were wondering if it hinted at a return to the halcyon days of Jack Charlton's reign, so impressive was the performance, let alone the result.
The evening began uncomfortably, with the 33,400 crowd divided in its response to the playing of the Yugoslav national anthem, just as fans had been split back in June on whether the game should have gone ahead.
After being greeted by the Taoiseach, the Yugoslav players heard a third of the crowd greet their anthem with boos, whistles and jeers; the rest roundly applauded it at its conclusion. Lansdowne Road is not in the habit of greeting foreign anthems with such hostility and there was plenty of uneasy shifting of feet. And it was a relief when the referee signalled for the game to start.
The team went on to produce their finest display since Mick McCarthy succeeded Charlton, with that most prodigious of talents, 19-year-old Dubliner Robbie Keane, opening the scoring in the 55th minute with a sublime piece of finishing.
However, just six minutes later the lead was lost, when Steve Staunton took a nap and allowed Dejan Stankovic steal in to equalise with a header.
Enter Mark Kennedy, who five years ago was the latest in a long line of "next big things" in Irish football. Even if he continues to fail to fulfil his promise, the memory of the winning goal will help him through the bleak days.
