Diehard Cork fan Pat Murray has 'never seen anything' like Troy Parrott's 'unbelievable' performance 

Ireland fans Pat Murray, from Glasheen in Cork, and Marina Claffey, from The Lough, outside the James Joyce pub in Budapest on Sunday night.

"Unbelievable. It'll be hard to beat that."

In the James Joyce Pub in Podmaniczky Square, Budapest, on Sunday evening, 87-year-old Pat Murray from Glasheen in Cork was trying to comprehend what he had just seen. Back home in Ireland, there's a similar beautiful bewilderment.

Troy Parrott's hat-trick — his third goal coming in the 96th minute — saw Ireland stun the home crowd in the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, and send the Irish travelling support into raptures.

In seven decades following Ireland, Pat hasn't seen anything like this.

In the past nine weeks, Pat has been in Yerevan in Armenia, Lisbon in Portugal, and Budapest in Hungary following the Boys in Green. 

"When we lost to Armenia in September, it would have been hard to imagine what happened tonight. But Troy Parrott was unbelievable. What that young fella has done with five goals in two games is something else. I've never seen anything like it."

Play-off draw

When you consider that Pat was on the terrace watching when Johnny Giles made his international debut against Sweden in 1959, that's some barometer.

Ireland will be entered into next Thursday’s play-off draw, with a 12pm start scheduled, as they look to secure a place at next year's World Cup in June. It takes place in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

The play-off format means teams must win a semi-final and final in the playoffs to reach the finals showpiece.

Only a win in Budapest would secure a play-off spot for Ireland, but Hungary led in the fourth minute when Dániel Lukács scored, only for Parrott to score from the spot after Chiedoze Ogbene was fouled.

A thunderbolt from Barnabás Varga put Hungary back in front, but Parrott equalised in the 80th minute. He then scored the all-important winner six minutes into added time.