I'll start off by admitting that I am very drunk so bear with me for the rambling!
We all gave O'Neill and this side a lot of shit this year. After getting into a great position over the first half of the group, we've had a shit 2017 and some of the tactics and performances, particularly away from home have been shite.
Only last week I was giving him dogs abuse about getting a new contract after the Georgia performance and how it looked as though it had cost us the group.
But his tactics were perfect today. Surrender possession, play with commitment, aggression and defend brilliantly - frustrate them for an hour and then nick a goal and see it out.
We can give out about defensive football all day but we're a small footballing country and there's nothing wrong with pragmatism when it gets results. I was born in 1986 and our record in qualifying campaigns since then is bloody superb!
1988 we topped a group including Bulgaria, Belgium and Scotland.
1990 we qualified automatically from a group including Spain, Hungary and Northern Ireland (finished 1 point behind Spain).
1992 we missed out on qualification by 1 point, finishing second to England in a group including them, Poland and Turkey.
1994 we qualified automatically from a group including Spain, Denmark and Northern Ireland (finished 1 point behind Spain again).
1996 we qualified for a playoff, finishing 2nd to Portugal in a group including them, Northern Ireland and Austria. We lost in the playoff to Holland.
1998 we qualified for a playoff, finishing 2nd to Romania in a group including them, Lithuania and Iceland. We lost in the playoff to Belgium.
2000 we qualified for a playoff, finishing 2nd to Yugoslavia (last minute goal to Macedonia in the last game cost us 1st) in a group including Croatia. Lost the playoff to Turkey
2002 we qualified for a playoff, finishing 2nd on goal difference to Portugal in a group including them, Holland and Estonia. We beat Iran in the playoff to qualify.
2004 we finished 3rd in a group containing Switzerland and Russia. We lost 2-0 to Switzerland in Basel in a winner takes all final match of the group.
2006 we finished 4th in a group containing France, Switzerland and Israel. In a tight group we only finished 3 points behind group winners France.
2008 we finished 3rd in a group containing Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Wales.
2010 we qualified for a playoff, finishing 2nd to Italy in a group including them and Bulgaria. Lost the playoff to France because of Henry the prick and his dirty fecking hand.
2012 we qualified for a playoff, finishing 2nd by 2 points to Russia in a group including them, Armenia and Slovakia. We beat Estonia in the playoff to qualify.
2014 we finished 4th in a group containing Germany, Sweden and Austria.
2016 we qualified for playoff in a group containing Germany, Poland and Scotland. We beat Bosnia & Herzegovina in the playoff to qualify.
Then this year we qualify for a playoff, finishing 2nd in a group containing Serbia, Wales and Austria.
We're not the most exciting team in the world to watch - never have been and never will be. But feck it we punch above our weight and we're in contention at the business end of qualifying campaigns far more often than we would be playing naive but pretty football.