Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw said the pieces have fallen into place for her team to make dreams reality in their quest to reach the World Cup finals.
Ireland sealed their place in the play-offs last Thursday with a 1-0 win against Finland but they needed a series of results to go their way to give them a chance to get a bye into the second round.
On Saturday evening England's 2-0 win in Austria completed the trio of results Ireland were hoping for and now they go into their last group match against Slovakia on Tuesday knowing victory will send them straight to round two of the play-offs.
"It's something we dreamt of before and it is reality," Pauw told FAI TV.
"Belgium, Serbia and Austria all lost their games. They were expected (to get) results but there's usually one or two surprises because their opponents, especially England, had already qualified.
"We're now in a situation where if we win in Slovakia, we’re one of the three best second-placed teams. That means we’ll skip the first round of the play-offs.
"It will be extremely difficult because Slovakia is a very good team. They have drawn against Finland - that was the major result - but there were other results were very close. We couldn't get the win against them either [Ireland drew 1-1 with Slovakia in Tallaght last November] and actually were happy with the draw."
There were great celebrations in Tallaght at the final wistle on Thursday but Ireland must refocus now to get past a dogged Slovakia side.
"We're playing another final," Pauw added.
"We have no idea how Slovakia will line up, if they will bring in young players or go with their strongest team, we have no idea.
"We will prepare the same way as we always do. We expect they’ll go full strength because they’re playing at home and want to show they’re on a good path upwards. We will be with our strongest team as you will probably expect."
Jamie Finn is suspended while Megan Connolly, Niamh Fahey, Ruesha Littlejohn are all injured. Shelbourne's Jessie Stapleton and West Ham United's Isibeal Atkinson have both been called up to the squad.
"We will do everything in our power to get everybody together again and reconnected," said Pauw.
"But that is the most difficult part, getting the players coming into connect the tasks to each other and the players need to feel there is no miscommunication, and that is our biggest task."
"We have experienced what it is to fight for a win and gain a win and that experience will help us. We have to see what happens, because it is based on coefficients and even if we win that second play-off [round] it is still very likely that we will have to go to New Zealand [for the inter-confederation play-offs from 17 to 23 February where they will be placed in a three-team group] based on coefficients.
"If we draw one of the second or best placed runners-up and win, you would go directly to the World Cup.
"But if you play a team ranked further down, then you must go to New Zealand. So the draw will be so important. We need to see. First we must beat Slovakia and as we always do it is the next game only that counts."
