Asmir Begovic in Jon Walters warning

But Bosnia attacked on the left all through the match – and it is a sad fact that when teams see us selecting Stephen Ward at left-back they invariably take on Ireland down that wing. They’re ahead, now progressing, and have kept Bosnia at bay for most of the half, restricting them to long range efforts.

The hosts were simply better in every department, bullying the visitors in the first half and taking their chances when they arrived.

He said: “I don’t want to speak too much about that because it could have consequences, but the referee had a bad night”.

Interestingly, Bosnia played a friendly match in Ireland once before and that ended in a defeat for them back 2012.

The away goal still leaves Ireland with the edge, but it is not one Ireland coach Martin O’Neil says his side can rely upon.

But O’Neill said: “I never once dared to dream about getting to France, never once because of the group that we were involved in, so that was special”.

Ireland will run out knowing a 0-0 draw will be enough to send them to France next summer, but that a high-scoring draw, let alone an away victory, would see Bosnia claim the ticket instead.

“I’ll put them in hopefully on merit and hopefully the experience that they have garnered over the last 10 or 12 or 15 years could stand us in a bit of decent stead”.

It’s unbelievable – I couldn’t have written that script. Thankfully I got to play a few games and we’re through.

“Words can’t describe what I’m feeling right now”, admitted Brady. I know Jon is going to grab the headlines and rightly so, the hardest part of football is putting the ball in the back of the net and he’s done that, but he’s had the support behind.

Bosnian manager Mehmed Bazdarevic shuffled the deck after an underwhelming display from his side in the first leg. Striker Vedad Ibesivic was dropped, with Hans Medunjanin coming into the midfield – a change which allowed Roma’s Miralem Pjanic to play further forward having sat deep last Friday.

One thing that was clear in the tie, well as clear as it could be bearing in mind the massive fog that descended on the stadium in the first leg, was that Bosnia’s defence was more than a little suspect.

O’Neill also praised the players who had made it to Euro 2016. Ireland need not attack wildly, but there must also be a reality that we might have to score twice tomorrow night to secure the passport to France. “We have had a number of really decent performers consistently – I think he has been exceptional”. He’s a good quality player and a seasoned pro that has played in the Premier League for a very long time.

Now Ireland have to drag the other one across the threshhold. But he said Keane, whom he had to drag onto the pitch after the final whistle to take the plaudits from the delirious home fans, had been absolutely phenomenal, calling him “an iconic figure that polarises opinion, but not in the dressing room”.