Great away wins? Kenny's boys are more myth than real Irish legends

YET ANOTHER NIGHT TO FORGET ON OUR TRAVELS

- GARRY DOYLE

IT is fair to say that when it comes to mythology, the Greeks have a bit of history.

No better place then to reexamine the biggest myth in Irish football - that the mediocrity we see today compares so unfavourably to our glorious past.

Even the build-up to this game had Stephen Kenny harping on about adding to Ireland's list of great away victories.

Yet it's only when you delve through the archives that you realise how few of those there have actually happened: Czechoslovakia in 1967, Scotland in 1987, Austria in 2016, Wales in 2017.

Every other decent win on the road was either in a friendly or at a neutral venue, such as Stuttgart in Euro 88, Giants Stadium in USA 94 or Lille in Euro 2016.

So, let's avoid turning into the sporting equivalent of Trump or Brexiteers, by eulogising a golden past that never really existed.

Because here's the reality.

In a century of FAI history, we have reached just five major tournaments, playing 23 games in those finals, winning just four.