THERE WAS NOTHING new to learn and no sense of any turning point.
This Euro 2024 qualifying campaign limps towards its bitter end.
Stephen Kenny tasted victory over Gibraltar but it can hardly be too sweet given the manner of the 2-0 defeat to Greece on Friday.
Evan Ferguson’s opening goal was well-worked and clinical, the result of a patient, 19-pass move involving eight different players.
If it happened at the start of the Dubliner’s tenure it would be hailed as the exciting vision for the future, the blueprint for success.
Instead, these feel like the end of days.
Still, Ferguson’s movement was sharp, his finish precise. That’s three goals in eight appearances and if you are clinging to a positive for Irish football from the last year he is most certainly it.
The 18-year-old – he turns 19 on Thursday – was withdrawn after 66 minutes so wasn’t able to add to that tally.
Ferguson, at least, will be one player relishing the final qualifier away to the Netherlands and the opportunity for his star to rise further.
He will be the focal point of any Ireland team for the next decade and beyond. But he won’t be able to do it alone, and nor should he be expected to.
Miky Johnston, introduced to the Ireland set-up in March, now has two goals to his name after a near carbon-copy move to Ferguson’s doubled Ireland’s lead.
The 24-year-old Celtic attacker has had injury issues but if he can maintain fitness over the coming years he will be another capable of having a significant say on what is to come.
Matt Doherty made it 3-0 after a superb acrobatic flick from Jamie McGarth teed him up and Callum Robinson came off the bench to head home a fourth.
That was his ninth international goal so Ferguson still has catching up to do on that front, at least.
Beating Gibraltar won’t provide any real indication of the capabilities of this squad, though.
It is to be expected, although the last few years have made us all reassess what can be demanded given the required surgery that was needed to revitalise an aging squad.
It has been a testing process.
That Gibraltar are the only team Ireland have managed to take three points off in Group B illustrates the difficulties – and extreme disappointment – of this campaign.
This was the one Kenny built towards and needed to deliver in.
It hasn’t materialised.
He called on his players to be more ruthless in the final third after a blunt performance at Aviva Stadium on Friday.
They did so by scoring four goals but it could – and should – have been more. Gibraltar were nowhere near capable of laying a glove on Ireland and the manner of the opener illustrated this.
Yet there was an element of frustration at the outset when a promising counter attack started by Josh Cullen didn’t result in a killer pass being played for Ferguson as he made a burst to support Jason Knight.
The midfielder chose to retain possession instead of attempting an ambitious through ball and it proved the right decision. Ireland sustained pressure by switching the ball from side to side before the right moment to carve open a static defence presented itself down the right.
Chiedozie Ogbene fed Doherty in behind and his cross to the front post was met by Ferguson who finished cleverly. There were 19 passes involved from the time Knight turned back – 20 if you include Cullen’s initial set up.
Moments of such patience followed by that clinical edge have been few and far between for Ireland, and it was something at least for the 3,000 travelling fans to enjoy.