Hallgrìmsson: 'We want to win the game and continue to develop'

The trio of Finn Azaz, Mikey Johnston and Troy Parrott offered glimpses of a new attacking dimension but the priority is to eradicate the blemishes at the other end which contributed to Bulgaria pinching an early lead.

BUILDING COHESION:Heimir Hallgrímsson is of the belief that with the passing of time – this is his eight game at the helm – coherence will strengthen their backbone. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

After ridding some of the heaviness weighing down their shirts, Ireland cannot afford to botch the easier lifting.

Bulgaria, 82nd in the world at home, is the type of fixture which seemed to suffocate the team in recent years but, with a fully-available squad, there’ll be no excuses for failing to retain their League B status.