James McClean takes mature approach

Irish fans may not have realised but, had it been a younger James McClean that got on the end of Saturday’s match-winning moment on Saturday, victory in Vienna may not have been sealed.

Recreating the goal he grabbed against Austria last night, the 27-year-old admitted the composure and calmness he displayed in bursting towards goal and rippling the net was not part of his armoury when he first arrived on the big stage four years ago.

Though Martin O’Neill was the manager to thrust him into the spotlight back then at Sunderland, by the time the Derryman entered the business end of his first campaign as Ireland boss last year, McClean was a peripheral figure.