Ireland’s Daryl Murphy keeps World Cup hopes alive in win against Moldova

Brace yourselves for a roaring climax in Cardiff. This victory means the Republic of Ireland will travel to Wales knowing that if either side wins Monday’s hotly-anticipated Celtic duel, they will be certain of finishing in second place, at least, in Group D. Top spot will be within reach in the unlikely event of the leaders, Serbia, slipping up at home to Georgia.

Daryl Murphy made sure there was no spoilsport deviation from that script by scoring twice in Dublin to dispatch Moldova. Murphy and Callum O’Dowda, in particular, made strong cases for roles in Monday’s match, and eased criticism of Martin O’Neill in advance of a much fiercer test.

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