Republic of Ireland hero Daryl Murphy: Job only half done
Daryl Murphy and Callum O'Dowda reflected on a job half done as the Republic of Ireland kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over Moldova.
Murphy marked his 30th cap with his second and third goals for the Republic, who sit two points behind Group D leaders Serbia and one behind second-placed Wales.
A win in their final fixture in Cardiff should at least guarantee them a play-off but Murphy had not been underestimating the task in front of them in Dublin on Friday night.
Ireland frontman Daryl Murphy celebrates his second goal of the night against Moldova
The win means Ireland head to Wales on Monday for World Cup play-off shoot-out clash
He said: 'It's such a big game to score two goals and win 2-0. We kept a clean sheet, you can't ask for any more, really.
'You always need an early goal and to start off well in a game of this magnitude. We knew what we needed to do, we needed to score early and see it out.
'We always knew that we needed to win this and we look forward to the next one. It's massive, there's everything on it, really. What we need to do now is rest and recover and make sure we're all ready.'
Murphy has not often shown his best form in an Ireland jersey but was happy to reward Martin O'Neill's faith in him with two early goals.
Callum O'Dowda looks less than impressed after a foul by Moldova's Sergiu Platica
The Nottingham Forest striker added: 'I knew when the manager named the team and picked me, he's put a lot of faith in me throughout the years I've been in the squad and I just thought I had to repay him.'
Bristol City winger O'Dowda admitted the pressure was on the Republic to deliver after Wales' victory in Georgia earlier in the day.
Following his first international start, he told Sky Sports Football: 'We knew what we needed to do before the game, I think it was quite obvious, and I think you could say the pressure was on us when Wales beat Georgia.
'We performed and I thought it was great. The boys are looking forward to Monday now and hopefully we can take the form into it.'
Moldova ended the game with 10 men when Alexandru Gatcan was given his marching orders in injury time for thrusting his head towards substitute Harry Arter in an off-the-ball coming together in injury time.