IT WOULD be another hour or so before the extent of Bulgaria's difficulties in Podgorica became clear, but as he left the Brucweg Stadium on Saturday night Shay Given already had a sense that winning in Montenegro on Wednesday might be a higher mountain to climb for the Irish than the three points they secured against Georgia in Mainz.

"It's going to be a tough game," said the goalkeeper, "some would say tougher than tonight's game. The heat factor will come into it, it's supposed to be 35 degrees over there. So between the heat and the humidity, it'll be tough alright.

"We don't know a lot about them, but now we'll start to focus now on Montenegro, watch the videos."

A win on Wednesday would make this the best Irish start to a campaign in a decade, but if it is to be achieved then Given having such a quiet time of it again is unlikely. It's hard to imagine him having an off night for his country, but on Saturday he came close to having a night off, and over most of the last few years that's seemed just a remote possibility for the Ireland goalkeeper.

So often the team's hero on nights like this, the 32-year-old had next to nothing to do against the Georgians. Once, in the first half, he came confidently and caught a dangerous cross, but there was little he could have done to prevent Levan Kenia scoring and really nothing of note that he was required to do otherwise.

"No, I was just a spectator for most of the night," he observed, with just a hint of bemusement. "The lads defended well and I thought we kept the ball well. We didn't give them too many opportunities tonight."

"We'd looked at set-pieces and different things and expected them to pose a threat from them," he continued. "They do have some good players at set-pieces and a couple of big guys as well who come forward, so we were lucky enough that they didn't have too many corners. And the ones they did have I thought we dealt really well with."

Overall, he said, he was pleased that the win had been secured, although there was some disappointment, too, that the late goal had cost him what would have been a first clean sheet in an away qualifier since the 1-0 win over Cyprus three years ago.

"Yeah, first and foremost I'm delighted with the three points. We came here for the three points and we got the three points. I'm disappointed to have given away a late goal, but we've taken the three points so overall I'm happy.

"I think we've got to be happy too with getting two goals away from home. It's another day when it would have been nice to keep a clean sheet, they got a very late goal, but luckily tonight it didn't cost us anything.

"The pity of it is that I just think we switched off (for the goal). I think it was from a corner, or was it a throw in, and the guy's somehow managed to turn inside the box, so it was a very disappointing goal to give away. But we'll have a look at the video and see where we could improve and try to make sure we don't concede such a sloppy goal again."

The win marks a positive start to the team's first competitive campaign under their new coach, but the goalkeeper could have been forgiven had he been distracted over the last few days by events back in Newcastle, where the reign of the seventh manager he has played for at the club ended in midweek.

"Hmmm, I suppose you get used to it when you're at Newcastle," he said with a sigh when asked about the club's latest in a long line of crises.

"It's frustrating, but you've got to keep your head down and get on with what you're supposed to do.

"To be honest, though, I've been concentrating on a World Cup game, it was a massive game and I can't change what's happening back at home.

"Anyway, I don't know what's going on behind the scenes. There's been all sort of speculation, but I haven't seen the papers, haven't even seen the news because it's only German TV we have here.

"But it's frustrating because Keegan's a great manager and a great guy too so, he will be missed.

"A special word for him, because I really think he's a great guy."