'Everyone would have took this before the campaign' - Troy Parrott ready for decider in Hungary 

FLYING THE FLAG: Troy Parrott celebrates with his teammates after scoring. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Troy Parrott believes had the Republic of Ireland been told before their World Cup qualification had begun that a victory over Hungary in Budapest would secure a playoff spot, they would have taken it.

Parrott’s first half brace on Thursday night helped Ireland secure the victory they needed against the Portuguese to keep their hopes of reaching a first World Cup since 2002 alive.

And while the 23-year-old Dublin native took time to reflect on a “special” night for him personally, he quickly switched the focus to their decisive game at the Puskás Aréna where a win will be enough to see them leapfrog the Hungarians and into second place.

“There's always a point to prove whenever you can play for Ireland,” said the AZ Alkmaar forward.

“I've been waiting a long time for a night like this, so look, as I said, I'm just full of emotions.

“I haven't started too many games for Ireland, and I would say this is the first time that I've started one of the really big games.

“So, to be in there from the start and to have an impact on the game is a special feeling.

“We knew it was going to be a hard game. They were always going to have a lot of the ball.

“When we played them away, we also came up with the same mindset, but fell short, so it was just about staying in the game for as long as we could.

“We always have a chance to win, short and simple, but we all had belief coming in that we could get a good result. To see it actually happen is amazing.

“It means everything. I felt emotions scoring those goals that I've never felt before. I don't even have the words to describe them. It's really a special feeling.

“I'm over the moon. And I know it's a bit of a cliché, but I think Sunday now is probably the biggest game.

“We gave ourselves a good chance to get into that second spot. I think now all the focus is on Sunday.

“I think going into this campaign, if someone said it would come down to the last game where we have a big chance, then everyone would have took it.

“It's about focusing on that and trying to win on Sunday.”