Seamus Coleman .v. James McClean .v. Robbie Brady

Darren Randolph 7

Did we ever think we’d see the day when an Irish keeper would execute a slick drag-back, step-over and turn, to take the ball away from an incoming attacker? It wouldn’t have happened in Packie Bonner’s day. Overall, the Bray man had a very solid game. If I were Ireland manager, I’d be working very hard to get him to improve his distribution, which is occasionally suspect.

Seamus Coleman 8
This was Seamus Coleman’s best performance of the tournament. Clearly a man with the passion for it, he took to the captain’s role superbly, helping to bring the best out of his team-mates. He was strong in the tackle and was a potent threat going forward. With luck might have had a goal but an Italian block prevented a pile-driver from going anywhere.

Shane Duffy 7
The Derry born Blackburn centre-half looked very nervous for the first 20 minutes at least, ballooning the ball into touch and putting Darren Randolph in trouble once with an unnecessary back-pass. But he settled down and played his part. He is a wonderfully resolute defender and is a real threat in the air at Irish set pieces.

Richard Keogh 7
Less conspicuous than Duffy – but that can be a positive report card for a defender. There was one brilliant, timely intervention when the Italians threatened to carve Ireland open. Was strong at Irish set-pieces, when that scary stare may be a real asset, and did well in the air when he was defending.

Stephen Ward 6
It was a good day’s work for the Burnley left-back. His crossing can be erratic but on this occasion, he frequently contributed well to the Irish raids down the left. Took a few bashes and bruises for the cause – but got up and battled on. If Robbie Brady is again going to play in midfield against France, then his place is secure.

Jeff Hendrick 7.5
Hendrick has emerged as potentially a major player for Ireland in this tournament. He is big and strong but can also pass and dribble. Last night, he was the first to have a real go, carving out a bit of space before getting a brilliant shot away – only to see the ball curl agonisingly just outside the opposition post. Went close with another shot, but made the wrong choice later on when a goal-scoring opportunity was on. A commanding performance against France could trigger a big money transfer.

James McCarthy 7.5
Unfairly maligned for his performances in the tournament to date, McCarthy put in a huge shift before his substitution on 77 minutes. He was prepared to put his head in where it hurts as one diving header to clear confirmed. Looking more at home in the key central holding role, he harried, tackled and intercepted – and gave nothing away. Might now really grow into the tournament.

Robbie Brady 8.5
In a 4-3-3 set-up, Robbie Brady brings something different to the Irish mid-field. He can drift wide, or channel into the centre, to feed off the central striker. He looked every inch a really good natural footballer who is adept at carrying the ball and can twist and turn to hold onto possession. He had less joy than usual from dead balls last night, but still executed some wicked deliveries into the Italian box. He started the move for the Irish goal, coming from deep in his own half to score a classic box-to-box midfielder’s goal that was reminiscent of Bryan Robson – and which perfectly captured just how badly he wanted it. One of our real stars.

Shane Long 7
It was another frustrating night for Shane Long. It is as if teams playing Ireland have decided that he is our only real threat and systematically set out to beat him up. He battled gamely nonetheless and his exceptional pace created problems for the Italian defence. While he never gets anything like enough protection from referees, he did win some vital free kicks. Never really got sight of goal, though there were occasions when both Wes Hoolahan and Jeff Hendrick should have put him in but unsuccessfully chose a different option. A real hero for the amount of battering he takes.

Daryl Murphy 6.5
Martin O’Neill's selection of the Ipswich Town striker may not have had the Irish football chatterati reaching for the superlatives, but Murphy proved the doubters wrong on the night with a fine display – his best yet in an Irish shirt. He won a lot in the air and was also good at soaking up punishment and holding up the ball. Did well to put James McClean in for the penalty that wasn’t. Should have had a penalty himself when an Italian defender attempted to throttle him.

James McClean 8
He was named man of the match by RTE’s Ronnie Whelan and I can see why. The Derry man was prepared to give everything for the cause – and duly ran himself into the ground. He did his defensive duties excellently, put in a few crunching tackles that the Italians won’t have relished, and was a constant threat down the left, with one run in particular inspiring comparisons with Gareth Bale. If his crossing were just a little bit better, he’d be world class. In the meantime, it would be a very brave – and possibly wrong – call to leave him out of the team to play France. No one is more up for the battle. Was at the wrong end of a few bad decisions – the most conspicuous was the stone-cold penalty, when he was blatantly pushed over by Bernadeschi. Proved himself to be a fearless warrior.

Substitutes:

Aidan McGeady 7
Armchair cynics seem to have forgotten just how important Aiden McGeady was to getting Ireland to France. Without his two goals against Georgia, where would we be now? A couple of times he made bad decisions, but he does have the ability to create something out of nothing. He can take opponents on and send them the wrong way – and generally did okay. Played a part in the winning goal, when he did exactly the right thing: give the ball to Wes.

Wes Hoolahan 7
Hoolahan must have been disappointed not to start but made a difference immediately he arrived on the pitch. Constantly looked for the ball and generally used it really well. Except, of course, when he was in one-on-one with the Italian keeper and failed to convert. He more than made up for this a few minutes later, delivering an inch-perfect cross for the advancing Robbie Brady to head home…

Stephen Quinn wasn’t on long enough to compute!

Management Team:

Martin O’Neill 8
No matter what way you look at it, this was a triumphant night for the Irish manager and his team. He came up with a new shape, casting certain players in completely different roles for Ireland – and it worked. None of the players who came in did less than well. Ireland dominated throughout and created chances. There was a huge level of passion and commitment about the way the team went about its business. That has to come from the players themselves, but it is up to the manager to ensure that it does – and in that regard O’Neill has proven himself a much better leader than he is a comedian. The question now is: what team will he line-out against France? And can he inspire another confident, aggressive, footballing performance? We will see...

Roy Keane 8
It is hard to know what the assistant manager brings to any football management set-up. What we can say is that the Irish players speak very highly of Roy Keane and of his influence on the squad. What we can also say is that he is good for Martin O’Neill, in that he takes a lot of pressure off the Ireland manager, handling media duties with humour, candour and confidence. And finally, there is the fact that he really cares. The sight of the man who flew home from Saipan in 2002, in a rage, hugging and kissing Martin O’Neill and smiling and rejoicing with the players after Ireland won last night was a thoroughly endearing one. That isn’t a word we’d normally have associated with Roy Keane – but these are extraordinary times.