Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni praised his players for a job well done after they handed him a first victory.
Robbie Keane's third-minute strike was enough to see off Colombia at Craven Cottage, although it took a solid defensive display, in which 37-year-old goalkeeper Dean Kiely starred, to keep the South Americans at bay.
Trapattoni was delighted with his side's resilience as he looks towards next season's World Cup qualifying campaign with his masterplan starting to unfold.
He said: 'I am happy for the players because now in the dressing room, they are happy.
'They ran a great deal and they are tired, but they believe in our team, and that is important.
'They are happy because we are a team.'
Ireland could hardly have got off to a better start when Keane's shot was deflected past keeper Robinson Zapata by defender Elvis Gonzalez.
But they had to weather a storm as Colombia bounced back, Kiely pulling off a fine save to keep out Juan Carlos Escobar's 30th-minute header and then reacting smartly to block first Falcao Garcia's shot and then Edixon Perea's follow-up in first-half injury-time.
In the meantime, Liam Miller and Richard Dunne had cleared off the line in quick succession with Colombia pressing all the time.
However, they held firm and although Kiely had to save again from Edixon Perea after the break, they were rarely in any real trouble despite some slick football from the Colombians.
Trapattoni said: 'Yesterday, I said today was important, it was a different game to Serbia.
'I also said it was important for our defenders because they could show us their individual performances.
'Colombia deserved a goal because Dean Kiely made two or three very great saves, and they were very important.
'In the second half, they played well again, but they weren't as dangerous as in the first half.
'We were compact and worked very hard.
All the players played at about 80 per cent, so we have another 20 per cent improvement in us.
'We made mistakes because sometimes we played too fast, but since we started working together, we have surely improved.'
'Tonight, I looked for our organisation. The team played with order.
'The result could have been 1-1 because Colombia deserved a goal, but our organisation was good.'
Trapattoni has asked Keane to play in a slightly withdrawn role behind striker Kevin Doyle, a position he likens to the one in which Francesco Totti has been employed to such good effect over the years.
The fact that he scored the decisive goal and came close to a second with a curling right-foot shot will have pleased his manager, but the Italian was more satisfied with the way he knitted things together.
Trapattoni said: 'Even if he didn't have many chances up front, he was the one who was dictating the timing and he was the link between the midfield and Kevin Doyle up front.'
There was also a special mention for the new-look central midfield partnership Glenn Whelan and Liam Miller, whose discipline allowed wide-men Aiden McGeady and Andy Keogh, a late replacement for the ill Damien Duff, to support the frontmen.
Trapattoni said: 'In that team with the offensive players like McGeady and Duff and Keogh, we have enough offensive players.
'We need players like Whelan and also Miller - he is not big, but he wins the ball.
'They are playing very well because they understand when to tackle and when not to.'
