JOHN O’SHEA has urged the Republic of Ireland to build the momentum after launching their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a last-gasp victory in Georgia.

Martin O’Neill’s men looked to be heading for a frustrating draw in Tbilisi on Sunday evening after being pegged back by the Georgians, only for winger Aiden McGeady to snatch the points with a dramatic late winner.

They now head into next month’s double header – on paper, at least, their easiest and most difficult matches, at home to Gibraltar and away to reigning world champions Germany – brimming with confidence and determined to keep the ball rolling.

The Sunderland skipper, who won his 97th cap at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, said: “Look, it’s momentum, it’s just a key word. Martin and the staff have had to wait 10 months for their first competitive game and to get a win is huge.

“Now we can see the way the other results go and build from there. But you are coming away from home in the first game, three points - it’s massive, it really is.

“It was perfect, very, very perfect. It was a huge three points for us. People might have been thinking that 1-1 wouldn’t have been too bad, but believe me, we wanted to win this game beforehand.

“Going back to previous campaigns – you look at Armenia in particular – when you come away, a long-distance travel, tough enough opposition.

“But ultimately, we knew we could win the game and we did win it. We left it a little bit late, but what a special goal to win it for us.”

Asked if he had ever seen McGeady produce a display of such quality, O’Shea said: “To be fair, I have. It’s consistency now he will need to find and maintain that, and more game-time at Everton too will help contribute to that.

“But look, I have played with Aiden in the Irish team for a long, long time and in training up against him too. I know the quality he has got, so the more times we can get him on the ball in the final third - less so in our half, where he gives it away for fun!”