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It was commentator Peter Drury who put it best close to the half-time whistle.

‘If it’s one thing you get in Dublin...it’s a good night out,” said Drury, arguably the most poetic of all asked to place their voice over the stories unfolding on pitches across the globe.

Any of those lucky enough to do so in the past 10 days have seen some outstanding games during this international break. Too often in the past gaps in the club calendar have come and gone bringing nothing but a nuisance to the drama played out domestically. Too many international games, too little meaning. Not this time.

With World Cup qualifying under way in Africa, South America and across the CONCACAF region, featuring Canada, we have witnessed some dramatic games of great importance, even with the main event over 900 days away.

In Europe, though, a major tournament is on the horizon and the qualification playoffs for France 2016 have rightly gathered more headlines than most.

When UEFA extended their major tournament from 16 to 24 some wondered whether the qualification process would become too predictable and lethargic. Naturally, the concern extended to the playoff games that could easily have been watered down affairs featuring pure minnows at this level.

Thankfully none of that has happened. Teams who prospered at the World Cup like Netherlands and Greece didn’t even finish in the top three of their groups while those who did have all given excellent accounts of themselves in the two-legged playoff matches that have unquestionably been far more competitive than those played at this very stage four years ago.

The problem with playoffs to qualify for major tournaments can often be the even finer line between success and failure and what awaits the team that is on the right side of that margin come the final whistle. Caution can set in and too much value is placed on the away goals rule.

As a way to only split teams in the event of a combined score over two legs it now has a massive influence over both games with home teams knowing one moment of madness can cost them the tie. Even those against the idea that penalty kicks shouldn’t break ties would admit such a scenario doesn’t hang over two games of football like the archaic away goals rule, brought in fifty years ago when travel, conditions and game environments differed between venues far greater than they do now.

Norway, so dominant at home to Hungary in the first leg, were sucker punched and never recovered. They were poor in Budapest, and certainly deserve no one feeling sorry for them, but looked like a team that trailed by more than a goal from the start. Sweden sprung to life at home when Denmark had ten minutes of madness either side of half-time and at 2-0 looked poised to end the tie before the second leg. Up 2-0, however, they got cautious - drowned in anxiety of possibly conceding an away goal - which inevitably came from a set-piece that allowed Denmark to wrestle back the momentum.

Ireland were another team to use the away goal to their advantage. Robbie Brady’s goal in the fog in Bosnia-Herzegovina settled their nerves ready for their home leg, which looked evenly poised at 1-1 but of course gave Martin O’Neill’s men a slight advantage because of 'the away goal rule’.

Like a bad actor that ruined outstanding plot lines, the rule dominated the previews for the game and the consensus was that Ireland should do what they can to get a 0-0 and progress. How dull.

Thankfully, football, and a referee, intervened and, with some irony, Irish eyes were smiling when six years to the very week that Thierry Henry’s handball cost them in Paris - when William Gallas scored a dramatic equalizer to qualify France, with the expense of the Irish, for the 2010 World Cup – Dublin went crazy when Ireland were handed a penalty after Ervin Zukanovic was deemed guilty of handball.

It looked harsh but the plot thickened as Jonathan Walters stepped up to face former team-mate Asmir Begovic in the Bosnian goal. Walters, often a shooter to the goalkeeper’s left, won the battle of mind games and went the opposite way.

“I’ve missed a few in my time but I’ll always step up,” said the man post-match who once scored two own-goals and missed a penalty in the same game.

1-0 Ireland and bedlam in Dublin.

Throughout it all Roy Keane, assistant coach, was business as usual on the bench. After all, it was Keane back in 2009 that refused to join Ireland’s pity party after some called for the tie to be replayed.

“They (Ireland) never grabbed the opportunity. Usual stuff, afraid of that next step, mentally not strong enough. They can complain all they want, get over it,” said the former midfielder who at the time was managing Walters at Ipswich Town.

Six years on Ireland had the chance to finally get over it.

Stoke man Walters would become the hero of the night, doubling their lead in the second half, and securing many booked flights from Dublin to Paris next June. All that is left to complete the circle of football life is for France to get Ireland in the draw on December 12.

Whoever Martin O’Neill’s team get next summer doesn’t really matter. Watching them defeat outstanding players – Champions League level stars – like Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic shouldn’t be glossed over. It was an outstanding achievement. Ireland has no one near that level. With the exception of the brilliant James McCarthy, and the reliable Seamus Coleman, the rest of Ireland are a mix of average Premier League players at teams like Stoke, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Norwich and good Championship players from clubs like Derby, Ipswich and Burnley. Put them together for 38 games and throw them in the Premier League and they would be relegated every season. Yet here they were proving the 2009 Roy Keane wrong and collectively overachieving to ensure France 2016 will be much more colourful.

“Get the party started,” screamed Drury at the final whistle.

It is now guaranteed to last until the middle of June.