Football is rightly peripheral to the real story of this international window but Jack Moylan is positioned to recall this quadruple-header for more than just Israel.
Three uncapped players were last week named among the 26-man squad — Owen Elding, Liam Kitching and Joel Bagan — yet Moylan is a newcomer of sorts himself.
These matches, starting with Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday night, are the first time he’s prepared for competitive fare.
His 18 goal contributions along Lincoln City’s streak to the League One title earned him a maiden call-up the summer series and what an impact he made.
The first vindicated the trust those around the domestic game place in the attacker, a hat-trick on his debut. It may have come against the minnows of Grenada is a deserted stadium in Murcia but his feat marked the first time since David Kelly in 1987 that a debutant had bagged a trio.
Moylan fitted in seamlessly, partnering Adam Idah in the first half and Tom Cannon afterwards with equal proficiency in the 5-0 stroll.
That earned him a spot in the next game against Qatar, yet after producing the sumptuous free-kick delivery for Nathan Collins to head in the winner, he was sent-off.
It seemed a harsh punishment from the Northern Ireland official for a honest attempt at tackling for the ball but meant he wasn’t heading to Canada in June for the final friendly of the trio.
After a summer that saw him lured from one promoted team to another, Cardiff City, for €3m, the 25-year-old is back on the international frontline seeking a breakthrough with next year’s business end of the cycle in mind.
Heimir Hallgrímsson doesn’t require much surgery to his team that reached the World Cup playoff semi-final only six months ago.
Apart from sourcing a successor to ageing right-back Séamus Coleman and curing that perennial pinch point of midfield, the props are in place for the team to prosper.
Troy Parrott’s heroics, particularly over the past year, make him undroppable as Ireland’s leading striker but it is behind the sole frontman that Moylan will have grounds to press his claims for inclusion.
Chiedozie Ogbene and Finn Azaz act as the preferred combination of number 10s by the manager, each supplying their own unique skillset.
The problem for Ogbene has been his slow start to the season. Evidently out of favour under new Ipswich Town manager Gary O’Neil, he was a late mover in the window, joining Moylan’s former club Lincoln on deadline day. The sum total of his Championship exposure so far is 125 minutes, spread over four outings.
Though Azaz has cemented his status as a first-choice through his consistency at Southampton, finding his optimal position is the dilemma.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that the momentum swung in Ireland’s favour in last November’s crucial final qualifier in Hungary after Azaz was deployed as a makeshift midfielder amid a reshuffle seeking two late goals.
Hallgrímsson’s solution to his midfield problem, at least until Josh Cullen returns from his long-term absence, may be staring him in the face. These six Uefa Nations games, as the Icelander was so keen to stress at his squad announcement, are linked to Euro seeding and qualification but can also function as a means to experiment, where possible.
Moylan will be the one with his hand up if those gaps emerge, either in the starting line-up or when the game demands a substitution impact.
It’s not been a linear trajectory for the 25-year-old, a dimension his club boss Brian Barry-Murphy emphasised when purchasing him and after Saturday’s brace against Charlton Athletic that sealed a welcome first league victory of the season.
“We felt as if we were bringing a player who would improve the squad when we bought Jack Moylan,” explained the Corkman, himself something of a late football developer.
“He has qualities we probably didn’t have before, a very dangerous player in situations like Saturday.
“The big appeal for us was because of where he’s come from, he has a lot of improvement in him.
“The way he’s working means he will improve a lot and become a great player for the club.”
That journey encountered rejection along the way; released by Bohemians before his 20th birthday, only to be resurrected by a call from Damien Duff as one of his first recruits at Shelbourne.
Physical constraints had hindered him earlier in his career too. FAI academy manager Will Clarke recently told the story of how a slightly-built Moylan in his teens was always worth tracking because of his natural ability.
For other reasons, his tale will be secondary in this window but that shouldn’t dim his appetite to make it count.
E: john.fallon@examiner.ie
Being a teak-tough lower league veteran in his playing days, Graham Coughlan was used to rough and tumble, especially being scolded by referees.
His interactions with officials since returning to the League of Ireland as Waterford manager in May however have left him a tad perplexed.
Being one of the eight members of Premier Division staff to be issued with cards on Friday wasn’t so much his problem, moreso an accumulation of frustration by the tone from officials.
For someone with 450 games played, and five managerial spells, to be miffed by the attitude of referees and assistants certainly warrants attention.
“I’m here three months and the way they speak to me – not only to me, I guess to everyone – needs to be addressed,” said the Blues boss after their late defeat to champions Shamrock Rovers.
“My phone number is there. I’m not going to go through the media or social media. If whoever is in charge of the officials would like a manager’s view, or an experienced view to help and make the game better, I’m more than happy to speak.”
We’ll see if the new refereeing broom at the FAI accept his invitation but they could take a leaf out from the northern counterparts.
The Northern Ireland FL routinely show video interviews with match officials. Even if its pre-match, the human face of those in charge is magnified.
Questions really need to be asked as to how the FAI Women’s Cup final was scheduled on the same day as a men’s international.
Sunday’s showpiece between Athlone Town and Shelbourne kicks off at 3,30pm and there’s every chance of extra time, and potentially a shootout, given the competitive edge between the teams. Whatever chance Shels fans have to get home to watch the 7.45pm, it’s completely unfair on the travelling Athlone support base.
Athlone, this season managed by Irish international Lily Agg since John O’Sullivan quit within months of them securing the double, are on the cusp of retaining their title. They have a 12-point lead over both Shels and Galway, with three games left. Technically, Galway are the only squad capable of catching them and they would take a miraculous combination of results.
Meanwhile, Athlone are about to release a documentary on momentous 2026 season. Not only was the double lifted but they progressed through two rounds of the Champions League before featuring in the Europa Cup.