Irish provide fitting party for Staunton's milestone

The crazy green bandwagon rolls on. To Yokohama next and a fitting extension of this increasingly impossible tale. Surely the Irish cannot stumble at the final hurdle, not now, not after the emotional expenditure of the past two weeks.

The Irish have yet to win at this tournament but, in the tumult at the final whistle in Ibaraki last night, no one cared much for the detail. A 92nd-minute goal against the Germans to salvage a World Cup future?

"Yes," said Niall Quinn, whose headed flick-on had fashioned the equaliser for Robbie Keane. "I thought about all the great nights in my career with Ireland... The night I came on as a sub against Brazil, way back, victory against England and Holland. This one was right up there."

Perhaps Steven Reid is beginning to start the count now. Earlier in the day, Reid had been asked to perform a special task, a presentation to mark Steve Staunton's 100th international cap, the youngest member of the squad to the oldest. They have stopped counting the years with Quinn. Reid made his speech and handed over a watch, bought by the players. "I just said what an honour it was to be asked," said the 21-year-old. "It was only a few words really, nothing fancy, but no one deserves it more." Reid was seven when Staunton made his international debut.

Staunton had been immense all night, alongside Gary Breen. He had even spotted the danger for the goal, gesturing behind him for Ian Harte to cover Miroslav Klose's diagonal run into the box. But the Leeds full-back's anticipation was not as acute as his captain's and when Klose added a fourth goal to his hat-trick against Saudi Arabia, the Irish were condemned to 73 minutes of remorseless and increasingly vain struggle against a blond fortress called Oliver Kahn. Staunton must have wondered on fate's cruelty. 100 caps and a sickening defeat as he sat on the bench for the final three minutes.

Not a man to get carried away, "Stan" Staunton. As the Irish held hands in a dancing, jigging, paper chain to honour their fans, Staunton had wandered away down to the sanctuary of the dressing-room. The celebrations could wait for later. At the age of 33, you have to conserve your energy. But Staunton had been genuinely shocked by the impromptu presentation ceremony. "It took me aback to be honest with you," he said.

"I was gobsmacked and they wanted a speech. I couldn't think of anything to say other than: "Let's go and beat the Germans". It hit me for six. We've got a cracking bunch of lads in there and I think this is the start of something special with them."

No one would doubt it. But where the Irish have been over the past fortnight seems already a distant land. The most telling reflection on the Irish performance came in the hailing of one R Keane and the absolute silence about the absence of another. The Germans paid a just penalty for their craven tactics, but they will regroup for another day. Qualification for the last 16 is not assured for the Irish, even if they beat Saudi Arabia. But to falter now would be just unthinkable. Staunton has no intention of returning home before his new watch tells him.