An Ireland side wearing orange shirts defended their goal against nondescript opposition in a World Cup qualifier. The set-up invited some old neuroses to shriek back into the reckoning of Irish supporters. 

But this was no Macedonia. The jerseys are as garish today as they were 25 years ago, when worn by Mick McCarthy’s ill-starred side in a wretched effort against Macedonia. 

When it was reintroduced as an alternative jersey at the end of last year, the manufacturer’s bumf talked about the previous kit having assumed ‘an iconic status in Irish kit folklore’. 

Leaving aside the somewhat surprising news that a tradition of myths and legends had grown up around the story of Irish soccer jerseys, there was nothing iconic about the association of orange jerseys and the national team. 

The Macedonia result was a disaster and the shirts came to be instantly associated with failure. The only tradition that grew around them was the one of awarding the player who fared worst in training an orange jersey for ‘having a Macedonia’. 

Perhaps the colour can now be renewed. For in another European fixture, with World Cup ambitions in play and against opponents summoning unexpected levels of interest and aggression, an Ireland side stood tall. 

They can talk now of having a Slovakia, and a player who shows grit and discipline, who keeps their cool and who thinks their way through a performance in many places muddled, can be given an orange shirt in recognition of their notable service. 

For the second time in five days, this Irish team picked their way through an occasion littered with challenges, not a few of which they laid for themselves. As in the win over Finland, this was a display unilluminated by much in the way of style. 

It’s easy to think that nerves were again a factor, and traces of them certainly seemed detectable in some performances. But it’s also fair to record that following the depletions that compromised Vera Pauw’s selection against Finland, there were more absentees to work around here. 

And they managed to do that. The atmosphere felt lunar at times, with empty stands in a glorified training facility removing it from the hot-house environment created in Tallaght last Thursday. 

That can’t have helped, but there was a cussedness to the Slovaks that was familiar to those who recall the bolshiness they brought to Tallaght Stadium when grinding their way to a 1-1 draw last November. They were obdurate enough then to sour a carnival atmosphere, cynical enough to turn an anticipated procession into a joyless drill. 

That defiance, or negativity, or whatever dark energy inspired them to compete with such sharp-elbowed attentiveness in a match that meant nothing to them, meant Ireland had to stay alert long after Denise O’Sullivan’s accurate shot gave the visitors the lead. 

Ireland, commendably, refused to try and hold what they had. A number of half-chances floated near the Slovak goal, but at the other end, there were the makings of some threatening breaks. 

Katie McCabe was upended on a couple of occasions by laughably obvious fouls. Megan Campbell got a flailing arm into the mouth. If an Irish attack showed signs of promise, then an awkward shunt soon followed and any momentum was sent tumbling. 

All of this makes the final result all the more encouraging. The finer virtues of this squad managed by Pauw have been repeatedly identified over the course of qualifying, but the last two matches have shown an aptitude for navigating the game’s less subtle challenges. 

Ahead of their eventual play-off date, it is likely that the occasional porousness of the Irish midfield will need attention from the manager and her coaching team. It again got stretched and space gaped in front of the defence, especially in wider positions.

Better opponents will capitalise on that, and it is better opponents who await if Ireland are to make the World Cup. But there are strengths on which Pauw can lean, too. 

O’Sullivan is a major one. She is a terrific player, sharp and adroit but also an unrelenting worker. Her willingness to track runners and push up on defenders never weakens. She will also fall back and help cut off passing options, while offering a poise in attacking situations that isn’t widespread in the side. 

O’Sullivan, McCabe, Louise Quinn and Courtney Brosnan offer a sound base. Brosnan has improved to a great extent, bringing certainty and direction, and she is a world away from the mistake against Ukraine in the Euros qualifying campaign. 

On the final whistle, there was little of the elation that marked the end of the Finnish game. That was unsurprising. The win in Tallaght confirmed a play-off place, and in front of friends, family and buoyant fans. 

But the value of bypassing the first round of play-offs should not be lightly regarded, either. They are now set on taking the most direct route to a prize that would have been simply unimaginable for an Irish women’s team five years ago, given the state of morale and back-up within the FAI at the time. 

Now, an Irish team at a major tournament is conceivable. And those set-piece shows are the most important agents of change in the women’s game. The last World Cup was a tremendous success, with the quality of play an extended surprise. 

That standard was at least maintained at the recent Euros, and the best teams in the world are getting better. But improvement isn’t the preserve of the elite, and Ireland’s progress in this qualifying series has been thrilling. 

Yet more will soon be demanded of them. The price of progress is never cheap, after all - and its effect is priceless.

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