Enjoy that? See any of the second half? Zenica fog came over us at the turn and we heard it made television viewing impossible. It wasn’t much better in the stadium.

A night for radio then. On 80 minutes I witnessed the goal that could send us to France next summer. You really, literally, had to be here to see it. I had made a few instinctive remarks about how little Robbie Brady was doing, and how he was making life difficult for those defending behind him.

Then he slipped from the grey and whipped a low shot into the bottom corner.

That warm glow only lasted four minutes before Edin Dzeko exposed ailing concentration levels.

Thankfully it was only 1-1 as nobody fully knows what happened here. We can confirm it was a terrible game. We saw enough snippets to know that.

But through the gloom it looked like Martin O’Neill’s men gave a decent account of themselves to earn a valuable draw to take home for what could be a memorable Monday night down Lansdowne road way.

Plenty of wind, rain and even some sleet but no fog, please.

I see no reason why we cannot qualify now and earn a true reward for defeating Germany. But we weren’t lucky here. This was earned.

Barely see

Not only could we not see the crowd on the other side of the pitch we could barely see the players. But those players could see the ball enough for the game to continue.

On 50-odd minutes I turned around to a shadow beside me and wondered aloud “What’s going on?” It’s one of the weirdest game I’ve ever been to. And I’ve been away with the Faroes.

I could see a few things, like Brady not tracking back to cover up Stephen Ward’s defensive deficiencies. I could see Ciaran Clark and Richard Keogh keeping it tight behind Glenn Whelan. At least I think it was Glenn. Might have been James McCarthy.

Dzeko’s goal came from the subtlest movement. He got between both centre backs and reversed a step in space. World class.

At least we saw the entire opening 45 minutes. Before the fog came, Bosnia and Herzegovina, not unlike the Republic of Ireland, seemed to be intimidated by the occasion. This type of tetchy football match tends to mean only one thing. Long balls. Lots of them.

That meant it wasn’t a night for Wes Hoolahan. And for us to win, or at least pinch a goal, we needed a special contribution from a Hoolahan or a Brady. But that was always a distinct possibility.

Again, before the weather conditions, the high stakes suffocated the game. Whelan and McCarthy couldn’t get a hold of the midfield so Wes was going to struggle.

I preferred seeing McCarthy in Whelan’s role against Germany but the Irish captain for the night played well, getting close to Dzeko who will be better for this 90 minutes.

The way the teams set up there was no hope of anyone playing the ball out from the back. That meant no one could stop and look for Hoolahan. That made him largely invisible, chasing down shadows, starved of possession and irrelevant.

Hoolahan’s removal was inevitable. Just not a night for his neat and tidy skills. That freed up Brady and when I thought he had run out of steam he delivered.

It’s also worth noting that Bosnia never dominated us in any area. It was fairly turgid stuff. Bosnia and Herzegovina had the two best chances, even if one of them was a clear foul on two Irish defenders, but the back four was solid. All bar Stephen Ward. That’s not his fault. Brady didn’t give him the support that was needed and the needless yellow card Ward picked up actually strengthened the Irish defence when Marc Wilson came in.

We badly missed Jonathan Walters.

It’s that diagonal ball up to him that was no longer an option. The kind of ball that he always seems to get something from – usually something really productive.

I’m sure Shane Long would have compensated if he was there but the straight ball up to Daryl Murphy was easily policed. Murphy was getting the odd touch but there was nobody close enough to him.

It was a defensive shape that demanded a moment of quality to steal a goal.

Presence felt

The contact on the ball was poor by everyone. That’s possibly down to a ropey pitch. Brady struggled to make the impact off set pieces that has him in the team.

James McClean made his presence felt when he arrived. I can see him starting in Dublin as he ensures the left back doesn’t get exposed.

But Brady wasn’t removed – he was put into shooting range and how it paid.

Changes are needed for the second leg. Prior to last weekend, Murphy hasn’t scored in 17 matches.

Overall Keogh and Clark did very well but they just lost Dzeko for the goal.

If ever proof was needed that the medium of radio should last forever, this was it . And I’m not trying to enhance my job security!

Even the local Ultras put there jumpers back on on what was a cold and distinctly odd night. See you in Dublin. If we can find our way home.