Surely, even the most sceptical mind cracked on Tuesday night.
It’s hard not to imagine an invisible hand guiding Amber Barrett towards the Scottish penalty area. And then guiding the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Barrett is a Milford lass, with strong ties to the heartbroken community of Creeslough.
READ MORE: Amber Barrett dedicates historic goal to Donegal explosion victims
Earlier on Tuesday, the tiny north Donegal community buried two victims of the tragic explosion, including Jessica Gallagher.
Gallagher was just two years younger than Barrett when her life was cruelly taken.
She was one of the 10 that Barrett paid tribute to with her poignant goal celebration and then spoke so eloquently about after the final whistle.
In that moment, it seemed quite trivial to talk about football matters, even one as huge as a first ever World Cup qualification.
But for many watching on, it was their first time hearing Barrett speak. It was probably their first time seeing her play.
Such is the draw of a make-or-break night, a night when history called out and Ireland’s heroes answered.
How impressive was the 26-year-old, who was sprung from the bench just six minutes before her historic contribution?
Her back-story is just as awe-inspiring.
It starts in Donegal, where she was a promising young athlete and an inter-county Gaelic footballer, and takes us up to the present and Bundesliga side Turbine Potsdam.
Along the way there have been stops at Maynooth University, DCU and Peamount United.
Barry Prenderville once pulled on the green jersey, just like Barrett. A former underage international, he played for Hibernian, St Patrick’s Athletic, Oldham and Shamrock Rovers.
These days he heads up Maynooth University’s football scholarship programme.
He was certain, as Barrett raced beyond the last Scottish defender on Tuesday night, that she was going to find the back of the net.
And when she etched her name onto the pages of Irish footballing folklore with a classy Hampden Park finish, he cast his mind back to almost a decade ago.
Barrett is on a stellar list of Maynooth alumni - one that includes Jamie McGrath, Sean Hoare, Izzy Atkinson, Tiegan Ruddy, Luke McNally and Jake Carroll.
Prenderville can still recall his first meeting with the Donegal native.
“When she scored, I remembered interviewing her for the scholarship when she was 17,” he said.
“Amber was always such a confident and outgoing person. She wasn’t afraid to talk.
“A lot of people her age might have been a little bit shy, especially in that kind of setting with an adult, but Amber was always very confident in herself and her ability.”
As soon as he got Barrett on the football pitch, Prenderville knew he had a special talent on his hands.
“Her power and strength was something I noticed straight away, compared to other girls playing college football.
“It was incredible just how hard she could hit a ball and how quick she was.
“Amber was a goal machine. That was the strongest part of her game - scoring goals. So I was confident when she went through that she would get her shot off.
“What a finish, though. I am so proud of her. When I saw the goal go in, I couldn’t help but feel very proud of her and to feel that maybe we at Maynooth helped her along the way.
“I texted her this morning to say congratulations and to let her know how proud we were, because I know she’s proud to be a Maynooth University alumnus.”
Barrett achieved a BA in Arts at Maynooth before completing a Masters in Education at DCU.
During her time on the north Kildare campus, she was no stranger to footballing success.
It was her two goals in 2015 against IT Carlow that earned Maynooth a first ever Women’s Colleges and Universities Premier League title.
She also signed for Peamount United and quickly established herself as one of the top strikers in the Women’s National League.
Her form there earned Barrett a move to the Bundesliga with FC Koln in 2019, while last summer she made the switch to top German side Turbine Potsdam.
She made her senior Ireland debut in September 2017 and on Tuesday night, in her 33rd appearance, scored the goal that secured a first ever World Cup spot for the Girls in Green.
“Amber always scored a hatful of goals,” Prenderville continued. “Coming to Maynooth, studying and playing football here would definitely have improved her confidence.
“She was so dominant at this level and she scored so many big goals for the college.
“Between that and playing in the National League, she really grew as a footballer and a person.”
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