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.