Kieran Shannon:When even the FAI deserve credit, you know it’s a good week

The World Cup qualifying campaign appeared like it was going to end in another failure with Heimir Hallgrimsson on borrowed time. Instead, Troy Parrott’s heroics have rewired Irish belief

FUNNY OLD GAME: Last week, Heimir Hallgrimsson looked like a dead man walking, now he's a national hero. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

It’s easy to forget now but before we all went off our heads with another goal from Troy Parrott, Niall Quinn had to urge us all to keep our heads – and possibly Heimir Hallgrimsson as well.

Only a week ago the assumption was that the former Iceland manager would very soon be a former Ireland manager. He was a dead manager walking, one who could only be pardoned by divine intervention, a miraculous set of results.