Endearing Ireland have turned a corner and reached a starting point

Now Stephen Kenny and his increasingly endearing team have a result to match the style, bringing a campaign that had begun disastrously to a rather satisfying end

A happy Ireland manager Stephen Kenny celebrates after the game with Josh Cullen. Picture: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Well, they got there eventually. Ireland have finished third in a group in which they were the third seeds. A squad of players heavily drawn from England’s Championship performed to par, just about meeting expectations behind teams packed with Champions League quality.

If only judgments were that simple, that black and white. And if only the team Stephen Kenny has nurtured - is nurturing - were capable of this fluency when they faced Luxembourg in Dublin eight months ago.