The little bandroom behind the West Stand was filled with two tribes. Argentinian journalists musing over what this summer's World Cup will hold. Irish journalists fretting as to whether their team will ever grace another.

To the second question the preceding action had offered no definitive answer. A first half of unremitting awfulness gave way to a second half of passing competence and some promise. For a team without a home win in almost a year that was small consolation.

With two goals in the bank and other things to worry about the visitors didn't waste much adrenalin, but the action provided a silver lining of sorts on an overcast night. Robbie Keane provided most of the lustre.

"My man of the match?" said Mick McCarthy, "well being very biased towards my own team, over the game I would say Robbie Keane but I couldn't deny (Argentinian goalscorer Ariel) Ortega after his first performance on his goal. He is an outstanding footballer."

"A performance like Robbie Keane produced on his debut . . . I think he would have been a very worthy recipient of man of the match.

"They were asking what it was like to be playing with some of his heroes and he was saying that he was proud to be playing with people like Niall Quinn and Denis Irwin. I said that that some of those players might be proud in years to come to say that they were on the pitch the day Robbie Keane made his debut. I will be."

If Keane all too luminously represented the good stuff, the worries were clearly evident too. The Irish defence had a bad dream of a first half.

Judging by my substitutions at half-time you could tell how happy I was," said McCarthy. "I took Ian Harte off but I could have taken Gary Breen too. There was neither of them playing particularly well. That does happen. Changing it round we produced a far better performance in the second half.

"I'm quite happy to be proved wrong. Maybe that's not right, maybe it was just inspiring performances from people. The two lads who came on they were the best performances they have produced for me at this level. Phil Babb and Denis Irwin. I am delighted for them. I'm delighted they turned out and proved me wrong. "I was happy with the second half performance. Even in the first half we flitted in little bits of brilliance when we created chances for ourselves, but there was complete and utter rank and bad defending. In the second half I had to be pleased. To look on the bright side we had two midfield players out there who were outstanding. Mark Kinsella was outstanding. Robbie Keane we have discussed. Denis Irwin and Phil Babb."

As for the Argentinians, the next time we see them will be on the crystal bucket. McCarthy will watch for the squat Maradona off-cut, Ariel Ortega whose goal lit up the night.

"Ortega was the one that impressed me as much as anybody. We ended up with a big gap between our midfield and our defence, though. The second goal was a bit of a melee. I don't know what you do about that. I'm open to advice on that which I'm sure you'll all give me tomorrow morning."

In the context of a struggle against one of the world's premier sides, McCarthy was asked somewhat cheekily if he was happy that his side weren't actually going to the World Cup this summer. An opportunist cheap shot. Well, it would have been a sensation if he had said yes. He didn't.

"That is a ridiculous question. I don't understand the question. I do this for a living. I love the football. If we'd have gone there and got spanked I wouldn't have been happy at the time. I watched that Belgian game the other day. You'll never know how much I wish I was there.

And, overall. Growth continues, scarcely detectable on a match-to-match basis, but measurable over a span of time. The manager concurred.

"I think we are progressing. We have had an up-and-down two years. That was a poor first half. In terms of progressing to the squad that I wanted two years' ago, I'm delighted. It might be somewhere down the line when Duffer (Damien Duff) and Kevin Kilbane and Kinsella and (Lee) Carsley and Keith O'Neill and David Connolly have got a bit of experience on then we'll pick up results.

"I am worried we haven't been winning. I'd love to be on the back of a 10-game unbeaten run. It concerns me. We try to win every match. That's all we can do."

Daniel Passarella has added a few lines to his face since we saw him hoist the World Cup 20 years ago. The streak of ruthlessness hasn't borne much erosion. Asked about the Irish he didn't sugar the pill.

"Very physical. Somebody said a novice team. All matches are very difficult. I am very happy not only because Argentina played well in many moments of the match. You could see a team with a definite style that could have many chances of goals."

So it went. As works in progress we came, we saw, we hoped to learn.