Keane: We can’t let it slip away now

IF Ireland walk it like Robbie Keane talked it on the eve of the European Championship play-off, then the Green Army can start making plans for Poland and Ukraine next summer right now.

Of course, things are likely to be rather more complicated than that, not least this evening in Tallinn where Estonia’s new national heroes will be roared on by a devoted crowd as they seek to take the penultimate step towards making their own football history.

By contrast, Ireland reached the point Estonia are now at back all of 23 years ago and, even then, had to rely on a favour from Scotland to get themselves a seat at Europe’s top table for the first time.