All's well that ends well, thank you, thank you again, Evan Ferguson and, latterly, Adam Idah.
But for an hour, and after falling behind initially, we were reminded that this is a team that works on low heat.
For sure, whatever way our stew cooks, boils, simmers or whatever the very idea it is bubbling so differently north of the border is hard to fathom.
To recap, Northern Ireland thrashed Bulgaria 5-0 in Belfast last October.
READ MORE: There are damn good reasons why Evan Ferguson starting in Bulgaria is more important than the manager's CV - One F in Foley
Imagine going into a restaurant with another, being given two similarly printed menus, ordering the same main course, only for two completely different tasting meals to arrive.
So this Republic of Ireland took the pitch with five English Premier players, one from each of Liverpool, Brentford, Wolves, Everton and a Brighton-to-West Ham loanee.
These were augmented by five players playing in the top eight of the Championship which is, by the way, rated as the eighth best league in Europe by most analysts.
Yet there Ireland were, all steam and no meat for an hour as Jake O'Brien, Mikey Johnson twice, Troy Parrott and Evan Ferguson all failed to score from good chances.
Meanwhile Ireland are 0-1 down to a Valentin Antov goal that should have been shut down, cleared.
Republic of Ireland's Evan Ferguson (left) celebrates scoring the first goal with Finn Azaz
Republic of Ireland's Evan Ferguson (left) celebrates scoring the first goal with Finn Azaz (Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
That Ferguson equalised on the hour is simple demonstration that he will improve with game time, that he needs to start so he can be starting striker from the next decade.
The 20 year-old needs to play with the men, not dispatched to the ladies tee each time Ireland tee-off because, make no mistake, Ireland need to improve.
That this starting team was so susceptible to Bulgaria, given their recent performances and standing, is hard to understand.
Put it up there with Mystery of the Gold Medallion and where Elvis is hiding when compared with how Northern Ireland were able to win 5-0 in Belfast.
We have often, all too smugly, indulged in the game of picking the United Ireland XI and love to tell our northern neighbours that while they ostensibly begin with the same schoolboy ingredient, send players to the same feeder clubs, our main course is superior to theirs in every way.
There was always a case for eight, nine, 10 players from the Republic on the All-Ireland side...
What to make, so, of Northern Ireland's 5-0 compared to our finally managing to subdue Bulgaria with seven minutes to go.
A comprehensive scoreline achieved with just one Premier player, Liverpool's Conor Bradley in the starting line-up and just two in the top eight in the Championship, Trai Hume at Sunderland and Isaac Price - who scored a hat-trick in Belfast - at West Brom.
To be honest, I'd have been at the pin of my collar to tell you either the Christian names or the clubs of Charles the goalkeeper, Toal who was subbed by Brown at half-time, McCann, Charles the midfielder, Spencer, Marshall and Charles the striker. Partly as three of those play in Division One with Huddersfield Town.
Maybe Ireland need more alchemy. Could the recipe be 4-3-3 with Man of Match Troy Parrot, goalscorer Ferguson and Finn Azaz as a front-three?
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