End of Ireland's World Cup but hopefully the beginning of something special

There was a time when an Irish move from one end of the field to another was a once-in-a-campaign event. This side has made it a staple of the diet.

14 November 2021; Chiedozie Ogbene of Republic of Ireland shoots to score his side's second goal despite the efforts of Laurent Jans of Luxembourg during the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying group A match between Luxembourg and Republic of Ireland at Stade de Luxembourg in Luxembourg. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Not quite a case of all’s well that ends well. The fact that the Republic’s World Cup campaign has ended in Stade de Luxembourg and not Qatar marks this one down as a failure but it’s hard to argue with the notion that it leaves the side better positioned to succeed going forward.

Let’s look back at how it started.