FEBRUARY in Cardiff. All afternoon the apathy had been as palpable as the rain. Then a pulsing fluent game broke the mood.

Mick McCarthy, face uncreased by tension for the first time in an age, leans back in a cramped ante room and lets the questions come.

"I'm pleased with the performance, I thought we played very well," suddenly he leans forward and breaks into a fit of theatrical coughing. The journalist with the smoke coming out of his nostrils stabs his cigarette, Mick McCarthy finishes his sentence. "I thought we were a better team tonight, played very well, made chances. It was good stuff. Their keeper was made man of the match for them, that would be right."

For McCarthy it had been an evening of animation on the touchline, his gruff Barnsely burr bouncing around the near empty stadium as he kicked every ball with his players. Half an hour later what lessons had been drawn?

"Well I'm pleased with the players I played in new positions and I'm delighted with Jon Goodman. Then there's big Paul, he surprises me continually. I'm pleased with all the performances.

Goodman, an old face familiar to McCarthy from his early time at Millwall, had caught the eye all evening with his close control and ability to turn his man.

"I know about John, I had him at Millwall, sold him from Millwall, He'll chase lost causes, he'll work, he's big and strong and he turns well. It was a pity for him that Crossley was in good form. He played well and if nothing else he has proved his worth to the squad tonight.

"I'm a self confessed Ian Harte fan there's no question, I think he will be a top class player. I think he's a very good player now he's only 19. Kenny Cunningham had an excellent game alongside Paul but if nothing else they've had the pleasure, the two of them, the pleasure and the privilege of playing alongside Paul."

McGrath's triumphant return was a tribute to his genius and to McCarthy's broad and generous spirit.

Having taken the flac for dropping the nations most beloved footballer once, the cowards' course would have been to leave the 37-year-old in dock till his career evaporated. Instead McCarthy spread the petals of praise around the masters' feet.

"I think Paul will appreciate having some young legs alongside him but he performed very well. I still remember playing alongside Paul. If nothing else the players have had the privilege of playing alongside him. I turned and I said to Gary Breen, `37 years old, he's incredible playing like that'. He is, he's incredible.

"It was tough out there because they'd got two big lumps up against them in Hartson and Hughes but they defended well from corners and free kicks. That was their biggest threat and we handled it well. Paul had a great night."

Just as the company is about to break into three cheers for Paul McGrath some dirty realist with an English accent points out that Ireland gave the ball away a lot.

"Uzz?" says McCarthy.

"Yes"

With a nod the point is conceded.

"We've got to try and nail things down. We were at our most vulnerable when we've crossed the ball. I've asked Roy and Stan to do a bit more of a defensive job but they still have to be pushed up behind play and pen things in rather than allowing people to pick up the ball, turn and the break on us. That can be worked on. We were together for a day and half.

"We will give the ball away but we will try and pass it, try and play. We could stop passing but I'm not going to ask them to do that. It's something that takes a bit of moral courage, passing the ball sometimes but they'll do it. I thought actually that Alan McLoughlin played well in his slot tonight, he got in on a number of occasions."

He looks about the room. Anything else. Uhm. Keith Branagan.

The Bolton players debut has become almost a footnote. With Given and Kelly still ahead of him in the pecking order and the nation on its knees praying for a striker to emerge, a good goalkeeping debut is easy to overlook. Still Branagan will have a commendation to tell the grandchildren about.

"Keith Branagan did well, couple of good saves from distance. Fancy being a keeper making your debut on a night like that when it's wet and slippery and blowing a gale. Rain is coming in your face. Nice dry day is what keepers like but both keepers performed well."

There it ends. McCarthy pushes himself forwards and heads off for some quick TV stuff and then out into the night with a three hour drive to London ahead of him, before he sleeps. He looks like a man with his moral courage intact.