Anthony Ralston’s dream first start among positive omens for Dublin visit

Few could find fault with the logic when Aaron Hickey was given the nod to start against Ukraine, even if out on the right, but 90 minutes later, you couldn’t help but wonder if Anthony Ralston might have been a better bet. The Celtic man has honed his game fantastically under Ange Postecoglou, and has the handy habit of setting the tone for his team through old-fashioned appetite for physical confrontation.

Ralston made his first international start here and was straight to the fore, picking out Stuart Armstrong with the first-time ball which the attacking midfielder struck off the outside of the post, then firing a skiddy centre across the face of goal that found Andy Robertson for a low shot turned round quite brilliantly