Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill has admitted he made a big call when he withdrew record goalscorer Robbie Keane in a desperate attempt to find a priceless Group D breakthrough.
The 35-year-old Los Angeles Galaxy striker went into Monday night's must-win Euro 2016 qualifier against Georgia needing to score just once more in a green shirt to match Germany great Gerd Muller's tally of 68 senior international goals.
However, having seen Keane struggle to make an impact in a poor first half from his team, O'Neill dragged his skipper off at the break and replaced him with Shane Long.
The manager's bravery was rewarded when Jonathan Walters fired Ireland to a 1-0 victory, but he later admitted it had been a difficult decision.
O'Neill said: "Robbie has been terrific, but he's just not getting any younger. I didn't think we had great energy in the first half and I thought he just lacked that little bit of energy.
"It's a call because the last thing you want to do while you are still searching for a goal is to remove your specialist goalscorer."
The Republic were much improved in the second half, although it took a piece of glorious skill by Derby midfielder Jeff Hendrick to set the stage for Walters to clinch a vital victory with a 69th-minute winner.
Ireland now have a four-point advantage over Scotland, who beat them in Glasgow and left Dublin with a 1-1 draw in June, in the race for a play-off berth, but face world champions Germany at home and then Poland away next month in an intensely difficult conclusion to the group.
O'Neill said: "Naturally I am delighted to have won the game, very obviously I am delighted. It's just that with the games ahead, I don't think that we should start to get ahead of ourselves.
"We have opened up a bit of a gap, but the head-to-head with Scotland might still come into play in a big way. What I said in June was that it was still in our own hands and (right now), it's still in our own hands."
There was disappointment for O'Neill, however, when midfielders Glenn Whelan and James McClean each picked up a third booking for the campaign which means they will sit out the Germany game.
Meanwhile, O'Neill jokingly congratulated England counterpart Roy Hodgson for "putting the pressure on" Jack Grealish to make a decision over his international future.
The 19-year-old Aston Villa midfielder has kept both England and Ireland waiting for an answer as he decides which of the two nations to represent, prompting Hodgson to urge him to decide.
Asked for his reaction after Monday night's 1-0 Euro 2016 qualifier victory over Georgia, O'Neill said with a smile: "Well, that's encouraging, it's encouraging, anyway. Roy is not going to hang around, so well done Roy, putting the pressure on."
Solihull-born Grealish has previously rejected opportunities to join up with the Republic senior squad having already represented the country at age-group levels up to Under-21, boosting England's hopes of getting the nod.
However, Hodgson is growing impatient and appears to have set a deadline. He said on Sunday: "I'm not 100 per cent certain of what he is waiting for.
"I would like him to come out and say, 'I've thought about it, I've got the two possibilities and I'm opting for England' and then he will be available for selection.
"But he has been injured, to be fair, so he wouldn't have been selectable for any team during these September fixtures. Now maybe before the October fixtures he might make that decision."
