Marching on to Russia

MARTIN O’NEILL and Roy Keane will have the whole country behind them when they take their next bold step towards the World Cup finals in Aviva Stadium on Friday. It’s four months since James McClean’s impeccable finish in Vienna shocked Austria and left Ireland top of Group D with three victories and a draw, and our only worry is that the momentum generated in 2016 has not been lost as we await the arrival of Gareth Bale and the Welsh.

Keane stressed this week that it’s not a question of keeping fingers crossed. ‘It doesn’t work that way,’ said the Irish assistant boss. ‘We’ll have to turn up, focus on the game, and give all of the information to the players.’

It’s easy to believe, listening to Keane, that Ireland will be ready to take up from where they left off.

A win will leave Ireland with one boot on Russian soil. And it will leave the Welsh looking lost in the hurly-burly of the chasing pack.

We know Ireland are in expert hands. It is hard to see them not delivering.