Caoimhin Kelleher: Couldn’t be blamed for the goal and while seldom tested, didn’t put a foot wrong really and was invariably solid with his distribution. 6

Shane Duffy: Hasn’t had too much game time at club level of late and didn’t have too much to do in his 45 minutes on the pitch but looked a little sluggish on occasion and was replaced at the break. 5

Dara O’Shea: Looked his usual solid self at the back and is routinely one of the first names on the teamsheet at this point. 6

Seamus Coleman: Still going strong at 35 and appeared more comfortable in the second half when he moved from the back three to wing-back. He even came close to scoring a rare goal, dragging a volley narrowly wide. 6

Matt Doherty: Wasn’t really involved in the first half and lacked intensity in his performance, so it was no surprise when he was replaced by Liam Scales at half-time. 5

Robbie Brady: The left-hand side remains a position in the Irish team that no one has really nailed down. Brady did okay defensively but struggled to make an impact down the other end before being replaced by Callum O’Dowda around the hour mark. 5

Josh Cullen: Put in his usual shift with some neat passing but will be disappointed that Ireland were too often second best in midfield. Jason Knight replaced Cullen for the final 10 minutes. 6

Will Smallbone: A deserved player of the match, Smallbone produced an exceptional cross for the opening goal and did the basics well. 7

Finn Azaz: Was a momentous night for Azaz as he made his full debut but the 23-year-old was one of a couple of Irish players guilty of poor decision-making at times in the final third and consequently got replaced by Troy Parrott after an hour. 5

Sammie Szmodics: Not everything he did came off and cut a frustrated figure at times, but kept working hard and had a hand in the winning goal as his blocked interception put Troy Parrott through on goal. 6

Adam Idah: Made the most out of limited service. The Norwich striker held the ball up well at times and headed home the only clear-cut chance that came his way before being replaced by Michael Obafemi for the last 20 minutes. 7

Subs: Liam Scales and Jake O’Brien produced a solid 45 minutes, Callum O’Dowda looked lively when he came on while Troy Parrott got the goal Ireland needed, showing great composure to finish in the dying moments. Others weren’t on long enough to have a similar impact. 7