Daryl Murphy finds groove ahead of Cardiff cup final

Ireland 2 - Moldova 0: Job done, but a lot more to do.

A vibrant first half display, during which Daryl Murphy struck on the double and competitive debutant Callum O’Dowda entirely vindicated his selection by Martin O’Neill, was enough to compensate for a more lacklustre second 45 and an overall night to forget for Shane Long, as Ireland comfortably negotiated their penultimate World Cup qualifying game and now move on to Cardiff on Monday with first and second place in Group D still to be decided.

By the time kick off arrived in Dublin, confirmation of the early result from Tbilisi – where Wales had beaten Georgia 1-0 – meant that Ireland’s game against Moldova was now, officially and incontrovertibly, a must-win.