Few gave Ireland any chance of even giving Portugal a game tonight. They came within five minutes of winning the game and they probably would have were it not for a horrific refereeing decision.
It was a fantastic showing, one that deserved far more than it got.
Here's how we rated the performances on the night.
Ireland Player Ratings
Gavin Bazunu - 9
Incredibly calm on the ball, almost to a fault on a few occasions. It cost Ireland for the penalty, but he made an incredible save to deny Ronaldo. That set Ireland up for what was to come.
He was there and waiting whenever called on from this point on, including for a Ronaldo free-kick late on. There was nothing he could do about the two late goals.
Dara O'Shea - N/A
Started game brilliantly in defence, but O'Shea was unfortunately forced off due to injury on the half hour mark.
Shane Duffy - 8
Was solid as a rock in the first 45 minutes, dealing brilliantly with any balls into the box.
He pulled off a ridiculous headed clearance to stop a dangerous shot just after the interval, something that would become a theme throughout the match. He is certainly back to his best, even if we didn't get the result we deserved.
John Egan - 9
Defended brilliantly on a few occasions in the first half, but his main contribution came with that stunning header to put Ireland in front at the other end.
His defending in the second half was nothing short of heroic, throwing his head into places others wouldn't put their foot. Man-of-the-match on the night.
Seamus Coleman - 8
A leader at the back, Coleman was also fearless in pushing Ireland up the pitch. He was absolutely faultless in defence, ensuring Ireland kept their shape during periods of Portuguese possession.
He didn't do the flashy things but it was a real captain's performance.
Matt Doherty - 9
Did well defensively early on, also offering some running power to help Ireland transition the ball further up the pitch. In a 45 minutes with no shortage of candidates, Doherty was arguably Ireland best player in the first half.
He made countless key interventions at the back in the second half, and on a couple of occasions when he had no right to. The fact that he pissed off the Portuguese fans so much tells you all you need to know.
Josh Cullen - 8
Struggled to make much an impact early on, but Cullen grew into the game brilliantly. He broke up the opposition play and played some wonderful forward passes when given the opportunity.
He was relentless all night, refusing to give Portugal an inch in any area of the pitch.
Jeff Hendrick - 7
Was very unlucky to concede the penalty early on, with the midfielder seemingly getting the ball and making minimal contact with Bruno Fernandes.
Hendrick worked tirelessly and you certainly couldn't fault his performance.
Jamie McGrath - 7
McGrath struggled to get himself on the ball in the first half, but he made more than made up for it with his assist for Egan's opener.
He worked tirelessly throughout, even if he was forced to concentrate on the defensive side of the ball. A fine showing from a man making his first international start.
Adam Idah - 8
Idah looked to get in behind when given the opportunity, while also linking the play brilliantly when deciding to drop short. His layoffs were fantastic throughout.
The Cork native also did his fair share or work at the other end, especially from set-pieces.
Aaron Connolly - 7
It was clear from the off that Connolly was keyed into his defensive duties, something that hasn't always been the case in the past. The Galway man had a couple of snap shots in the first half but neither threatened the goal.
His performance was fantastic, with only the end product lacking. The Brighton man really should have had a penalty just before the hour mark after getting clattered from behind by a Portuguese defender.
Substitutes
Andrew Omobamidele - 8
Tossed into the action after half an hour to make his international debut, the 19-year old didn't look out of place.
At one stage he was squared up with Cristiano Ronaldo on the edge of the box, turning the Portuguese superstar away after he failed to beat him with a few of his tricks and flicks.
He made a heroic block in the closing stages to stop what looked like a Portuguese equaliser. A fantastic first cap, even if he couldn't quite hold Ronaldo at bay for the 90 (+6) minutes.
James McClean - 6
Came on midway through the second half to replace Connolly, McClean ran his socks off with being given the opportunity to do too much on the ball.
However, he really should have done better top stop the cross for the equalising goal.
James Collins & Jayson Molumby - N/A
Not on long enough to rate.
SEE ALSO: The Best Of Your Memories From Ireland's Famous Win Over The Netherlands In 2001
