IT'S happened too often now to be luck or a coincidence. Seven games, no defeats and a beautiful feeling of purpose and momentum. Now we can really believe.

The struggles of this generation in the campaigns since Japan and South Korea have taught us to expect disappointment. Regardless of how promisingly Group Eight had developed prior to Saturday, there was always a niggling sense that this stand-alone fixture in June was circled with red marker, screaming danger.

After all, this was the scenario we didn't want. A situation borne from our stadium foibles; a game organised at a time, in January of last year, when our chief negotiators were still working off the small-time assumption that we weren't good in June.

Giovanni Trapattoni has changed perceptions. More importantly, he has changed attitudes. The sense of belief which exists in this squad is palpable. Surviving Bari and Sofia intact has increased the feeling that making it to South Africa is their destiny.

On the flight home, Trap took hold of the microphone and addressed the plane by delivering messages of congratulations to all and sundry. With no work to go home to, the players launched into a sing-song. Good vibes. It's been a while.

"The players deserve to be congratulated," said the manager yesterday morning, upon his return to Dublin. "They need to understand the importance of their engagement. I feel it's important to thank them because they have to understand the merit of what they've done.

"I am happy now, but it isn't sufficient yet because we have a long season ahead of us next year -- Italy, Montenegro and first against Cyprus are very important games."

Certainly, with Trapattoni at the helm, the return to Cyprus in September doesn't inspire fear despite what happened last time. Even if he endures a spate of injuries like Steve Staunton did before his infamous Mediterranean tragi-comedy.

system

If ever there was a game which emphasised Trapattoni's preference of system over individuals, this was it. When the full-time whistle blew at the Vasil Levski Stadium on Saturday night, there were four players on the pitch -- Sean St Ledger, Keith Andrews, Leon Best and Caleb Folan -- who were nowhere near the picture last September when the campaign began. Heck, St Ledger and Best weren't even in Bari.

Yet the manner in which St Ledger slotted so comfortably into his role on Saturday is a credit, not just to the Preston man, but to the organisation around him. Sure, it's not quite perfect. Sure, we miss Steven Reid desperately. But the pros outweigh the cons.

Once again, the opposition enjoyed the monopoly of possession and there were times when it was ceded to the hosts all too easily. Before the match, the Irish camp had insisted their players wouldn't fall into the old, subconscious habit of dropping deeper and deeper but almost parallel to the clock counting down, the retreat was steady.

The crux of the matter, however, is that for all their attacking flair, the Bulgarians were unable to consistently play through the opposition rearguard. Ireland may have been hanging on for a draw from a long way out, but Shay Given's main role on the night was sweeper rather than shot stopper. That really says something.

As the second half developed, Stanimir Stoilov's charges resorted to a series of hopeful punts from distance. Prior to that, their main moments of joy had arisen from poor Irish concentration under harmless balls forward.

Sadly for Kevin Kilbane, another lapse against the Bulgarians proved costly. Indeed, for all that Trapattoni lapped up the adulation of the supporters at the final whistle, the high point on the graph of his era so far came in the 25th minute here when a polished start culminated with Richard Dunne's opening goal.

Before Stephen Hunt curled the free kick into the Irish area, John O'Shea told Dunne that he would get in the way of his clubmate, Dimitar Berbatov, who had been tasked with tracking the Manchester City defender. Dunne chuckled later on when he watched the replay and realised that is exactly what happened.

It was going ominously well, with the passionate home crowd silenced. Given the precarious nature of Bulgaria's standing, protecting the lead for a period of time could have turned the mood drastically.

Four minutes later, though, the Irish position of strength was sacrificed when an innocuous defensive clearance from Igor Tomasic turned into an assist. Kilbane thought he had time to deal with it comfortably but failed to realise that Dimitar Telkiyski had slipped in on the blind side. There wasn't enough time to recover, as the unheralded 32-year-old nipped in to restore parity and set up the nerve-jangling hour which followed.

It was a shuddering blow, which knocked the wind out of Irish sails. The men in green had kicked off like the team needing the win desperately.

With Folan the fulcrum, three chances of note were created in the first 10 minutes. Folan and Hunt forced goalkeeper Dimitar Ivankov into action.

While the roving tendencies of Berbatov were causing headaches -- and he could have done better with a 19th-minute header -- it was only after the equaliser that the locals displayed the swagger which they are capable of. Half-time seemed like an eternity away as white shirts poured forward at will. In this period of adversity, Dunne came to the fore, with the first brace of heroic blocks which defined an outstanding display. His junior partner, St Ledger, listened intently and remained unruffled. They rode the storm.

"We have to learn," stressed Trapattoni, who didn't just attribute the blame to Kilbane. "After we took the lead, we had a good chance to control the situation. There is the moment when we need to switch the light on. We need more communication, because it was an optimal situation for us.

"I wish they can learn. I don't like arrogance but we need to take a little bit of that, a little bit more communication."

After the interval, there were 15 more minutes of pain before the Bulgarians ran out of ideas. Berbatov wasted their best chance, as St Ledger was caught napping by a Stiliyan Petrov pass which the €30m man could have converted with a first-time header or volley but instead he opted for two touches, misjudging the proximity of Given, who collected gratefully.

Stoilov withdrew the ailing Valeri Bojinov and then the below-par Martin Petrov, but the replacements were unable to alter the script. When their defenders who ventured forward began to adopt a shoot-on-sight policy, it was an encouraging sign although an exocet from Ilian Stoyanov did come dangerously close.

By then, Aiden McGeady had been sent on for Hunt and, shortly afterwards, the tired-looking Robbie Keane trudged off for Best to take his place. When O'Shea was lost to injury with eight minutes to go, and Stephen Kelly was sent forth, the battery power was running close to empty. The good news was that Berbatov had retreated into his shell, with Dunne mopping up everything that came his way. Kelly, to his credit, made a meaningful intervention just before the four minutes of added time began.

And yet, no Irish qualifier would be complete without a near miss from McGeady. Seizing the moment, he danced around a posse of defenders but, just like in Podgorica and against the Bulgarians in Croker, the execution was inches away from perfection.

In truth, it would have been harsh on the Bulgarians but at that stage it barely mattered as the victory they required was beyond their grasp. Even when they forced a few corners in the dying throes, they were acting in desperation as opposed to with any great assurance.

The last throw of the dice was sending Ivankov forward but, in keeping with their campaign, the delivery came up short. Claus Bo Larsen emitted the welcome shrill of the final whistle. Game over, and hugs aplenty on the Irish bench. On the road again.

Bulgaria -- Ivankov, Milanov, Tomasic, Stoyanov, Kishishev; Telkiyski (Dimitrov 81), S Petrov, Angelov, M Petrov (Georgiev 61); Bojinov (Makriev 59), Berbatov.

Ireland -- Given, O'Shea (Kelly 82), St Ledger, Dunne, Kilbane; Hunt (McGeady 70), Whelan, Andrews, Duff; Keane (Best 73), Folan.

Ref -- Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark).

- Daniel McDonnell