David Sneyd: Irish joy stolen by the magnificent 7 Cristiano Ronaldo

Ireland's Gavin Bazunu dejected after the game. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Incredible. Simply incredible.

Cristiano Ronaldo, of course.

His two headers broke Irish hearts on a night he became the greatest goal scorer in the history of international football. And what a way to do it.

He needed one to reach the 110 milestone and stretched clearer ahead to 111.

The Ireland players slumped to the ground at the final whistle as the hosts celebrated.

Stephen Kenny and some of his background staff remonstrated briefly with the fourth official who appeared to delay the double substitution of Jayson Molumby and James Collins in the build-up to Ronaldo’s 89th-minute equaliser.

It was a cruel and painful end. Kenny said he wanted to see his team play with energy and carry an attacking threat.

The players delivered on both counts for their manager, it just wasn’t enough to deliver a famous victory as Ronaldo — of course it had to be him — snatched away all three points.

Deflation was clear to see at the final whistle but with this display the Ireland players offered hope of so much more to come.

That bleak March defeat to Luxembourg, played out in a vacuous Aviva Stadium, seems like a different time.

Still, no one will complain it took a set-piece to break the deadlock, and while it was 2020 player of the year John Egan who got the goal, the re-emergence of Shane Duffy has been one of the feelgood stories to this season for Ireland supporters.

Not to mention those at Brighton, who seem to hold the kind of genuine affection which Celtic fans professed to have before his form dipped and he quickly became an easy target for the many ills which saw their historic charge for 10 in a row of league titles come to a shuddering halt. He was abused, belittled and made a mockery off, plenty wrote him off completely. Ireland captain Seamus Coleman felt the need to speak out publicly to support Duffy.

He explained about the grief he was dealing with having lost his father and also the struggles that come with being told by Brighton boss Graham Potter that he was surplus to requirements.

His life, both personal and professional, was in a complete state of flux.

Now he seems to be battling through, his form returning to the levels which remind you of his quality.

Of course there are deficiencies but the calibre of his character, and an almost primal willingness to defend, more than make up for those faults.

And they were needed here against a Portugal side boasting the kind of attacking talent Ireland could only dream off.

He scored the first goal of the Kenny reign almost exactly a year ago — away to Bulgaria on September 3, 2020 — and was central to a rear-guard action that came so agonisingly close to a first clean sheet of the campaign.

Is this what the future looks like for the Republic of Ireland?

Comfortable in possession.

Sharp on the counter-attack.

Solid at the back.

Lethal from set-pieces.

See, you don’t have to think Kenny is trying to reinvent the wheel by bringing a different focus for the international team.

These are the basics of the game which, when carried out effectively and with conviction, can make such a difference.

And the good thing is they won’t have Ronaldo to undo all their good work.

Of course, you need a dollop of good fortune too, and that came in the form of Diogo Jota’s 28th-minute header which rattled the post from close range and Bernardo Silva blazing over in the centre of the box with 15 minutes remaining.

Bazunu was beaten had Jota’s header or Silva’s strike been on target, but, as the Manchester City goalkeeper currently on loan at Portsmouth showed in the 15th minute, it would take something special to get by him.

His penalty save from record-chaser Ronaldo was sensational, anticipating the direction and leaping to his right to deny the new Manchester United man.

But the 36-year-old, as he so often does, had the final say with his late equaliser.

Perhaps Bazunu felt a sense of responsibility having been at fault with a poorly executed pass which led to the concession but, regardless, the penalty saved turned out to be a pivotal moment.

Ireland then settled down. With calm came composure on the ball and, most importantly, posing an attacking threat.

Portugal left themselves exposed at the back — Pepe and Ruben Dias didn’t look comfortable at all as balls continued to flow down either side of them on the flanks — and Ireland had devised a way to exploit such weaknesses.

They almost pulled off the perfect away-day performance. With temporary stands behind either goal, this had the feel of the old Lansdowne Road with those creaky bucket seats. But there was no glory to be had here, just a painful and deflating finale.