Soccer/Georgia - 1 Republic of Ireland - 2: After the late goal for Switzerland that resulted from Ireland's desperate effort to grab one themselves back at Lansdowne Road in October the Irish were left looking like a team digging a hole from which they would not re-emerge during the course of this qualification campaign. How quickly things change.
On Saturday night in Tbilisi a weakened Irish side this time winkled out a win with another late goal that, combined with Russia's resounding defeat in Tirana, suddenly makes the idea of the Republic finding themselves in Portugal in 2004 seem much less like a fairy-tale.
Gary Doherty's third goal for Ireland was not the prettiest you will see in this campaign; very little, in fact, of what went on at the Lokomotiv stadium at the weekend could be described as aesthetically pleasing, but it's quite possible the 23-year-old will not score as important a goal again.
The Tottenham player said afterwards he had never stopped believing that the winner would come but, after Damien Duff had given the Irish a 19th-minute lead and Levan Kobiashvili had prompted wild celebrations amongst the locals with a 61st minute equaliser, most of the rest of us were beginning to wonder.
In a scrappy game on a poor pitch there were certainly chances, by far the best of them falling to Lee Carsley and Duff in the second half. But after the Georgian goal, in particular, it was the home side who appeared to sense the win was there for the taking, even if they didn't quite have the required know-how up front to convert the considerable amount of possession they enjoyed during a good 20-minute spell into a second goal.
The pace and movement of Giorgi Demetradze, who arrived at half time for the far tamer Temur Ketsbaia, did at least mean the Irish defence had more of a threat to contend with through the second period of the game. The greater problem for the visitors, though, was that throughout Georgia's best spell their midfield ended up defending far too deeply, with the result that the two up front had little or no support when the opportunity came to counterattack.
There was a great deal of industry in all departments, although only Duff, and perhaps Steve Carr when setting up the Blackburn player for what certainly should have been a headed goal from a couple of yards 14 minutes from time, showed much by way of inspiration.
The performance of Carsley, making his first competitive start for the Republic since November, 1999, was fairly typical, with the 28-year-old working relentlessly to counter some lively and determined approach work by the hosts. Twice, though, he could and really should have scored.
When he hit the post from close range in the first half Duff was on hand to bundle the rebound home between a couple of Georgian bodies. But there was no such consolation two minutes into the second period when his rushed shot from inside the box was directed far too close to the goalkeeper.
On his first competitive outing John O'Shea turned in what he will probably view as a rather disappointing display with the defender looking most comfortable when given the opportunity to press forward down the left wing.
He was partly to blame for the Georgian goal, with the 21-year-old first failing to cut out a through ball for Demetradze and then conceding a free just outside the box after being sold a quick succession of dummies by the striker. There was some doubt about how well the two-man wall then did its job to protect the near side of Shay Given's goal but at first sight it appeared the goalkeeper was also at fault when he was caught by the speed with which Kobiashvili drilled the ball directly home just to the left of the post.
O'Shea might then have conceded a penalty when he caught the legs of Kobiashvili, accidentally it appeared, on the other side of the area. But the Georgian stayed on his feet before shooting wide and justice was done for Doherty clearly should have had a spot kick when tripped by Giorgi Shashiashvili in the 27th minute.
Not much went Doherty's way, in fact, with the player responsible for some of his poor fortune and the Greek referee contributing to it by repeating penalising him for the faintest hint of contact.
All of that was forgotten six minutes from time, though, when Gary Breen headed Mark Kinsella's long angled ball across the face of the goal and the 23-year-old kept his composure to head into an almost empty net from five yards.
"It would have been easy," said Breen afterwards, "for us to fold but I thought we showed a lot of character to come back into it and win the game."
And the central defender did his bit, setting aside his troubles at club level to not only set up the winner but also then to make a vital block as Givi Didava fired goalwards with the game in injury time.
The full significance of his efforts and those of the rest of the team didn't become clear until a couple of hours later when word came through that the Albanians had completely opened the group up by beating the Russians 3-1.
Both of Group 10's leading teams have now dropped points there, with the Swiss having been held to a draw before Christmas.
As the Irish team heads for Tirana this afternoon, though, it suddenly feels less like a hole they are in than a tunnel. And suddenly there's a flicker of light at the other end.
GEORGIA: Lomaia (Lokomotiv Tbilisi); O Khizanishvili, Shashiashvili, Amisulashvili (all Dynamo Tbilisi); Tskitishvili (Freiburg), Nemsadze (Dundee), Kinkladze (Derby), Jamarauli (FC Zurich), Kobiashvili (Freiburg); Ketsbaia (Anorthosis Famagusta), Iashvili (Freiburg). Subs: Demetradze (Metalurg Donetsk) for Ketsbaia (half-time), Didava (Kocaelispor) for Kinkladze (70 mins). Subs Not Used: Gvaramadze, Kvirkvelia, Kemoklidze, Ashvetiya, Rekhviashvili. Booked: Khizaneishvili. Goal: Kobiaschwili 61.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given (Newcastle Utd); Carr (Tottenham), Breen (West Ham), Cunningham (Birmingham City), O'Shea (Manchester Utd); Carsley (Everton), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Holland (Ipswich Town), Kilbane (Sunderland); Doherty (Tottenham), Duff (Blackburn Rovers). Subs Not Used: O'Brien, Connolly, Kenna, Kiely, Healy, McPhail. Booked: Doherty. Goals: Duff 18, Doherty 84.
Referee: K Vassaras (Greece)
