Players' reaction: And so concludes an unbeaten calendar year at Lansdowne Road. Played seven, won five, drew two. Brazil, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Faroe Islands and, last night, Croatia have been and gone in 2004, only two goals scored between them, and no victories.

If 2005 proves as fruitful there's a reasonable chance that the summer of 2006 will see an upsurge in traffic between Ireland and Germany.

In all it's been two years and a month since the Irish players last emerged from the Lansdowne Road dressing rooms sporting hangdog expressions, having to explain to the waiting tape recorders how they'd managed to lose a game. The last home defeat, then, was against Switzerland in the European qualifiers - as if we'll ever forget.

All's well for now, though, another unbeaten night, even in the absence of Roy Keane, Andy Reid, Matt Holland, Clinton Morrison, Stephen Carr and Andy O'Brien.

"A good year all around for us, and this was a great end to a good year - long may it continue," said man of the match, Damien Duff.

"We definitely should have won by more, I was desperate myself to get on the scoresheet but it wasn't to be. I was gutted when I hit the bar (in the second half) but I just couldn't see the ball, it was in the lights."

Robbie Keane though did get his name on that scoresheet. "I didn't think we played particularly well," he said, "but they made it hard for us, they're a good side. But delighted to score. Nine times out of 10 you know Damien's going to get the ball in the box from those situations and he did again, it was just a tap-in for me in the end.

"It was hard for young Stephen Elliott to come in for his first cap and play out there (right of the front three), I'm sure he prefers to play up the centre with one other striker but the main thing is he got a cap tonight and I'm sure he'll go on from here. It's always nice to see young lads coming through, if we keep producing players like Stephen and Aiden McGeady it's only good for Irish football."

Also into the squad, though recalled this time, was Richard Dunne. "It was nice," he said of his first Irish appearance in a year. "It's been a long time. It wasn't the best of games, the conditions made it difficult, but it's nice to be back, it was nice to get a win and great to get the clean sheet.

"We played a different formation, one I've never really played before, so it made it difficult to get a hold of the game. They put a lot of pressure on us but we just had to hold strong until half-time, which we did, and then try and get on top of them in the second half."

His central defensive partner was similarly content. "Pleased to win the game," said Kenny Cunningham. "We mixed things up a little bit, made a few changes, changed the formation so to come out with a 1-0 victory over a good Croatian side is a great way to end the calendar year.

"To finish the year unbeaten at home is the kind of goal you set for yourself. Another clean sheet was a positive, as was Stephen Elliott's debut and another cap for Aiden McGeady, Alan Quinn and Graham Barrett getting another taste of it, a few minutes on the pitch. Those things are important, those players will play their part, if not in the immediate future then certainly in the not too distant future. So, all around it was a very worthwhile exercise."

Twenty-five unbeaten months at Lansdowne give the old place that footballing fortress feel again, although Portugal, in February's friendly, and Israel, France and Switzerland after that, in next year's home World Cup qualifiers, should test just how sturdy those home defences are.