Martin O'Neill: 'Republic of Ireland have great resilience'

Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill has spoken of his pride at the resilience displayed by his charges after they claimed a vital 1-0 victory over Austria in their World Cup qualifying fixture this evening.

Ireland cemented their position at the top of Group D on Saturday evening thanks to a solitary strike from James McClean, leading O'Neill to heap praise on the mental strength of his side.

"It was nice to see it through tonight," said O'Neill following the win, according to The Irish Independent.

"They had a chance in the very last minute (a Marc Janko header from close range) and that would have been a real disappointment.

"There is a great resilience about our team, a great strength of character about this side. I couldn't be any more pleased with this team."

The Republic now hold 10 points from a possible 12 after four games played.