Keiren Westwood’s body language said it all. With 70 minutes played at Turner’s Cross on Tuesday, and David Forde given the nod to replace Shay Given in goal, it looked like the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper’s chances of booking passage to France had come and gone without him even donning the gloves.

Ireland’s new management era has been a while in the making, so the Irish players will hardly be too put out by having to wait a day longer for their first ‘Top Of The Cops’ audition.