First-half goals by Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane sent Ireland to a 2-1 victory over Macedonia and into a three-way tie atop Group B in a European Championship qualifier on Saturday.
Ivan Trichkovski gave Macedonia hope with a goal in the dying seconds of the first half, but the visitors couldn't turn their fired-up performance into any more goals.
Both of Ireland's goals came early - and courtesy of Macedonia goalkeeper Edin Nuredinoski.
In the second minute he was slow off his mark as McGeady shot low and left, getting both hands to the ball but letting it through. It was the first goal in 38 matches for Ireland's fleet-footed winger.
''It's great to get that monkey off my back,'' McGeady said. ''Over the years, I've got a lot of caps but no goals. Game after game, chances will go by, shots just past the post, and I felt like, 'Am I ever going to score?'''
Nineteen minutes later, Darron Gibson's long free kick bounced right in front of Nuredinoski, but he spilled the ball off his chest. Keane rushed in and fired past the kneeling goalkeeper for his team-record 46th goal.
The win meant Ireland was level alongside Russia and Slovakia atop Group B, each with 10 points after five matches. Macedonia remained back in fifth place with four points.
Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni said his players responded well to sustained Macedonian pressure in the second half.
''I am very, very happy because we beat a very strong team ... but they shoot only one, two times in 90 minutes,'' Trapattoni said.
Winger Damien Duff said Ireland appeared to be cruising to an easy win until Trichkovski's beautifully worked goal in the 45th, when he ran on to a throughball, cut back on Richard Dunne and struck a left-footed shot just inside the far post.
''That goal just before halftime was a sucker punch. We tried to be positive coming back out, but it just didn't happen for us in the second half,'' Duff said.
The visitors came close to clawing back a draw in the 75th when Trichkovski ran between two defenders and controlled a long pass with one touch. But Irish goalie Keiren Westwood, making his first competitive start in place of the injured Shay Given, sprinted out to block Trichkovski's shot.
Macedonia appeared extremely fortunate to survive the match with 11 men.
In the 50th, defender Boban Grncharov lifted his boot to shoulder height and caught Shane Long hard on the side of his head. Hungarian referee Istvan Vad showed only yellow. Long played the rest of the match with his head heavily bandaged.
Then left back Goran Popov threw Duff to the ground in the 79th. Popov was already on yellow; Vad let him off with a warning.
Lineups:
Ireland: Keiren Westwood; Kevin Foley, Richard Dunne, Darren O'Dea, Kevin Kilbane; Aiden McGeady, Darron Gibson (Keith Fahey 77), Glenn Whelan, Damien Duff; Kevin Doyle (Shane Long, 20), Robbie Keane (James McCarthy, 87).
Macedonia: Edin Nuredinoski; Vance Shikov, Boban Grncharov, Nikolche Noveski, Goran Popov; Darko Tasevski (Mario Gjurovski, 61), Veliche Shumulikoski, Muhamed Demiri (Slavcho Georgievski, 84), Ivan Trichkovski; Ilcho Naumoski (Stevica Ristich, 68), Goran Pandev.
