Few Ireland players know the lift that an opening goal can provide in the Stephen Kenny era more than Alan Browne.
Saturday against Scotland was the second time that he bagged a game’s first goal - a scrappy, scrambled effort that rewarded another strong start and lifted any tension that was growing on the pitch and around the stands.
What followed - two stunning strikes that suggested an instant chemistry had been struck between Michael Obafemi and Troy Parrott - made all the headlines.
But without Browne’s ugly 20th minute intervention, evidence from the previous two games suggest we wouldn’t have had the outrageously brilliant scenes that followed.
When Ireland failed to capitalise on strong first-20 showings against Armenia and Ukraine, it was like a switch had been flicked.
Legs became heavier, the passing slower and what began as a high press retreated several yards back towards Caoimhin Kelleher’s goal.
Sure, there were also structural faults, which were addressed against Scotland.
The most notable of those was the outstanding Jason Knight dropping back to add an extra body in midfield while out of possession.
But maintaining the energy of those opening 20 minutes - where adrenaline and enthusiasm drove both the players and the crowd - had been a problem in the first two games.
Browne, in the nick of time, found the solution when he groined the opener past Craig Gordon from three yards.
The Preston midfielder and Callum Robinson have twice scored the game’s opening goal under Kenny - more often than anyone else.
Browne also did it away to Serbia at the start of the World Cup qualification campaign, in a match that ultimately slipped away from the Boys in Green.
And when it comes to important goals, there was also that late equaliser against Belgium in March.
Robinson’s, meanwhile, came in back-to-back wins over Azerbaijan and Qatar.
Had someone found the net early against Armenia and Ukraine, we could be looking at a much different picture in Group B, League 1 right now.
Only Portugal and Serbia have beaten an Irish side that has opened the scoring under Kenny - and both of those were away games.
Browne, Kenny’s unlikely source of important goals, knows just how important it is to strike first.
“I just tried to sniff around in the box and thankfully it fell nicely to me. It found its way to the back of the net,” he said of his scrambled effort.
“I didn't know too much about it, but we managed to create some openings for us from there.
“In the previous two games, we just lacked that first goal. We played well at times but we've been punished because we haven't taken our chances.
“Once we got the first goal [against Scotland], it just calmed the nerves a bit and we really dominated the game from thereon in.”
He continued: “The early goal kind of eases the nerves a bit and gives you that confidence to go and really try to play.
“But even in the previous two, I think we actually did play, it's just we couldn't find the back of the net.
“I think that’s all the previous two results have been missing, that all-important first goal, because I think if we do get it, they have to open up and we can hit them on the counter.
“Thankfully, we got that [against Scotland] and the rest of the performance speaks for itself.”
It was just the result that Ireland needed after what Browne admitted was “a shocking start to the campaign.”
As for his personal performance, the goal was a bonus on an evening when he kept Liverpool and Scotland left-back Andy Robertson subdued.
“He [Kenny] just asked me to do a job on him. He felt I was the right person to do it,” said Browne, a midfielder by trade who enjoyed his right-wing-back role on Saturday.
“Obviously, I've seen a lot of [Robertson]. He's one of if not the best full-backs in the world.
“I did some homework on him and I managed to keep him relatively quiet, so I was quite pleased with that.”
Browne now has four Ireland goals - including three under Kenny and one under Mick McCarthy in a 3-1 friendly win against Bulgaria.
He is hopeful that his latest contribution can keep him in his manager’s plans for Ukraine tomorrow in Lodz.
“I'll see what the gaffer thinks. I didn't think the performance was fantastic. I could have done better,” he said, rather modestly.
“But I've managed to keep one of the best left full-backs in the world relatively quiet so it was an alright performance. We'll see what the gaffer thinks about his team selection.”
He added: “It [the Scotland win] doesn't make up for the previous two results, but it puts us back in contention.
“We need to make sure it's not a one-off and really take advantage of the points at stake.”
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