At some point, Northern Ireland will presumably have to divert serious attention towards the European Championship. Not that there appears any immediate rush: the adulation bestowed upon Michael O’Neill and his history-makers shows no sign of abating.
Given what had come immediately before, this was a positively low-key success to round off 2015. But success it was, in the latest positive occasion between a management team, group of players and fanbase who are revelling in the here and now. In seven months’ time, that terrific brand of logic which manifests itself in football will have Northern Ireland believing they can conquer the best in this continent. Who can reasonably deny them that?
“It has been a great year, we have had a great campaign and it is important to recognise the achievements of this team,” said O’Neill. “That’s eight games unbeaten, we had another clean sheet; it is all positive.
“ It is important that the players realised what got them to this position: belief, work-rate, confidence. They tuned into that and understood that. They didn’t go flat.”
There was never any doubt that Latvia would be swatted aside at Windsor Park, with only the slim margin of victory of possible annoyance to O’Neill. “It could have been more,” said the manager with more than a hint of understatement.