13 games, 19 goals, 1 country risen from the ashes.
It wasn’t that long ago that the future of Ireland football was looking bleak.
They were heading nowhere in their Euros qualifying group it seemed, the players weren’t there it was apparent, and there was nothing coming through it was forewarned.
It all changed.
Victories over Germany and Bosnia at the end of last year set Ireland up for a spectacular 2016 that brought them to France to make noises around the continent and then ended with them sitting on top of their World Cup qualifying group.
It was an epic journey and one that brought the country together and put football back on top of the agenda.
W – Ireland 1-0 Switzerland (Ciaran Clark)
D – Ireland 2-2 Slovakia (Shane Long, James McClean)
D – Ireland 1-1 Netherlands (Shane Long)
L – Ireland 1-2 Belarus (Stephen Ward)
D – Ireland 1-1 Sweden (Wes Hoolahan)
L – Ireland 0-3 Belgium
W – Ireland 1-0 Italy (Robbie Brady)
L – France 2-1 Ireland (Robbie Brady)
W – Ireland 4-0 Oman (Robbie Brady, Robbie Keane, Jon Walters, Jon Walters)
D – Serbia 2-2 Ireland (Jeff Hendrick, Daryl Murphy)
W – Ireland 1-0 Georgia (Seamus Coleman)
W – Moldova 1-3 Ireland (Shane Long, James McClean, James McClean)
W – Austria 0-1 Ireland (James McClean)
And it’s all packaged glorious in one spine-tingling highlights reel. What a year.
13 games. 19 goals. 1 unforgettable year. #COYBIG 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/cTvMC0PWJN
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) December 27, 2016
Bring on 2017.
