The Republic of Ireland’s journey to the brink of the March play-offs has been nothing short of extraordinary. After collecting only a single point from their opening three fixtures — including a deflating defeat to Armenia — Ireland looked destined for an early exit. However, back-to-back home wins over Armenia and Portugal revived their campaign and set the stage for a dramatic night in Budapest.

Their task in Hungary quickly grew more difficult. Mirroring their September meeting in Dublin, Ireland conceded early once again, this time when Lukacs’ header was allowed to stand following a brief VAR check. The setback, though, only sharpened their resolve.

Ireland’s response was immediate and determined. Troy Parrott, calm under pressure, dispatched a penalty after Chiedozie Ogbene was brought down in the area by Attila Szalai. Hungary soon regained the initiative through a powerful left-footed effort from Varga, restoring their path toward the play-offs.

But Stephen Kenny’s side refused to surrender. Still riding the emotional and physical high of their heroic win over Portugal, the players fought through clear signs of fatigue. Adam Idah thought he had equalised, only for his close-range finish to be ruled out for offside.

Parrott, however, had no intention of letting the opportunity slip away. Timing his run perfectly, he broke the defensive line and lofted a composed finish over Dibusz to make it 2–2. Then, in the dying seconds, he reacted quickest to Liam Scales’ flick-on, stabbing the ball home to complete a historic hat-trick — the first competitive treble by an Irish player since Robbie Keane in 2014 — and to send the travelling supporters into raptures.

For Parrott, it capped a defining week. With Evan Ferguson sidelined, the AZ Alkmaar forward delivered two goals against Portugal before surpassing that achievement with