Miguel Delaney: Finesse in short supply but Shane Long provides blunt threat for Martin O’Neill

Martin O’Neill this week bemoaned his shortage of strikers with so many injuries but, not for the first time, his attack still cut — or, given the conspicuous abrasiveness of some of the players, perhaps tore — their cloth accordingly.

In fact, they might have found something of a pattern, and something that rather appropriately harks back to the country’s first matches in tournaments. Ireland’s first four goals on proper international stages — across Euro 88 and Italia 90 — all came from very distinctive approaches. For the first two, they were lofted balls from throw-ins. For the second two, the source was goalkeeper punts, effectively making Packie Bonner Ireland’s primary playmaker in the first World Cup.

It’s not quite got to that stage with Darren Randolph, despite his sensational assist for Shane Long’s decisive goal against Germany, but there are a few other threads to the recent attacks. Ireland have now scored four penalties in their last five games.

Some of that might be a mere coincidence and isn’t exactly what you want to lean on too much, but it does point to particular traits of O’Neill’s forward options.

They’re very physical and awkward to deal with, and will cause unorthodox problems for European defences. In fact, if it is to be Long and Jon Walters up front, it is a really physical partnership that many continental teams will simply not be used to.

Walters was out of this match with injury but O’Neill hinted at his longer-term plan by putting James McClean in the Stoke forward’s usual role, rather than going for Wes Hoolahan behind the striker.

McClean does not have the physicality or aerial presence of Walters, but he does have an energy and industry that can make life uncomfortable for defenders in similar ways. He certainly has a strong tackle, and was willing to show that as he roamed around the pitch early on. As ever with McClean, his accuracy was erratic to say the least — and, just like Paul McShane, his first pass of the game went out of play — but it never dulls his confidence or enthusiasm. He keeps going. His willingness to move also offered a nice foil for Long, who headed down nicely on more than one occasion.

Of course, McClean should only ever be considered the ultimate fall-back option — but it is useful to have that option nonetheless and O’Neill should be credited for experimentation here that Giovanni Trapattoni would simply never have tried.

Slovakia tried to keep up with the tenacity of Long but struggled with more than his physicality. In fact, the first goal summed up so much of his game.

First of all, Long displayed his strength by restarting an Irish attack through a creditably strong sliding challenge that most defenders would be proud of — and not too used to feeling. His fellow attackers played a massing move that looked to be petering out and into Matus Kozacik’s hands, only for the Southampton striker to restart it by going over as the goalkeeper came out.

Long evidently hit the spot, as referee Ola Ober Nielsen pointed to the spot, and the forward equalised. To put it bluntly, Long got his fall absolutely right. Many might moralise about that but the reality is that it’s part of the game and, if referees are not going to pick up on it, a striker is better off being “streetwise”.

Long evidently is, and has that to go with his physical toughness and occasional deftness of touch. Why limit yourself if no striker Ireland will face is unprepared to? It just gives those continental defences another potential problem to deal with.

Martin Skrtel failed to deal with some of the other problems Long poses, though, as he rather crudely hacked the striker down for the next penalty moments later. Again, he was failing to deal with the forward’s physical presence, so tried to respond in kind and only succeeded in making life more difficult for his team. This is what Long gives you. There was no doubt about that one. There is no doubt about Long’s utter importance to this team.

It said much about Ireland’s striking options for this game that, when the Southampton man went off at half-time, Robbie Brady came on. That meant there were no recognised forwards on the pitch, even if McClean was still so willing to perform the role of one.

It doesn’t say much about Ireland’s striking options for Euro 2016, though. There may have been injuries for this match, but the attacking positions are in good health, with a few potential options. O’Neill has a bit to work with, and opposition defences are going to have to work out how to deal with their very distinctive approaches.