Tuesday 10 October 2017 17:33, UK
Harry Arter has saluted his Republic of Ireland team-mates, claiming they always "rise to the occasion" when the pressure is heaped on them.
Ireland's hard-fought 1-0 win over Wales in Cardiff earned Martin O'Neill's side a place in the World Cup play-offs and Arter believes the performance is on par with other historic Irish results.
Just as they did when world champions Germany arrived in Dublin in October 2015 to keep their Euro 2016 qualification hopes alive, and again when they needed to beat Italy in Lille to make it to the knockout stage in France, the Republic delivered when called upon on Monday night.
The Bournemouth midfielder said: "That's one thing I feel the group is good at. I look at the Euros and the result against Italy sticks out, and you take confidence from performances like that.
"When the big occasions come - Germany at home last year - we rise to the occasion. One thing that we'll probably be kicking ourselves about is looking at some of the games in the group that we could have got a result in.
"But ultimately we came here against Wales, who needed the same thing against us, and it was a tight game, but our determination got us there.
"It's what this group is made of. We are fighters. We might not be blessed with superstars like other nations, but we have got the togetherness and the willingness to get results, and that's what pulled us through."
Arter's teammate Daryl Murphy added: "Listen, I said this the other night after we won, I said we come alive on the big occasions, we always have.
"You look at the past results we have had - Lille, we needed to win, we did. We know when we are up against it, I don't know what it is about us, it's just our character and the want to win.
"It's just a hunger, I think."
