Ireland recovered remarkably well from the embarrassing defeat by Mexico on Friday. With a potential threatening Uruguay rocking up to the Aviva, Martin O'Neill would've wanted his players to make a statement ahead of the Austria game.
Boy, did he get it.
John Walters opened the scoring with a simply magnificent goal half an hour in. Darren Randolph would gift Uruguay an equaliser, but Cyrus Christie regained the lead for Ireland just after half time.
The Boys in Green would finish the game as a contest in style.
James McClean had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes when he latched onto a defence-splitting pass from Daryl Murphy, of all people.
Similar to his winner against Austria, the Derry man charged onto the ball and finished with power into the bottom corner.
76: GOAL!!@FAIreland 3-1 Uruguay.
James McClean with a brilliant effort minutes after coming on! #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/S6bzrgmpVN— eirSport (@eirSport) June 4, 2017
