A night to set alongside some of the more significant occasions in Irish football, ended with hugs of delight and a place in the play-offs for the World Cup finals almost certainly assured in Vilnius last night.

Better games there have unquestionably been in football but two goals from Tony Cascarino to Tomas Zlukas's solitary strike for Lithuania, ensured that for the second time in five days, Ireland ended on the right side of the score-line.

Here there were none of the gargantuan errors which defied logic and the reputations of some big name players in Ireland. Now the margin of error was slim to the point of non-existence as both teams battled for supremacy in the knowledge that there could be no way back for the losers.

In the end, it was the Lithuanian team which stole quietly off the pitch, their hopes of history in ruin, while the winners went to acknowledge the vocal support of some 250 supporters in a crowd of less than 5,000.

Even if Ireland lose their last game to Romania at Lansdowne Road and Lithuania in Macedonia, it will require a turn around of 13 goals to prevent them going to the play-offs. And judged by even the most eccentric standards, that looks impossible.

That Cascarino should emerge as the game's central personality was faintly ironic, given that his participation in it, was confirmed only hours before the kick off. After agonising for days on whether to go with Terry Phelan in a five man midfield, Mick McCarthy eventually settled for a more positive formation with the tall French-based player joining David Connolly in the front line.

In such improbable situations are the seeds of heroics occasionally sown and Cascarino sensing the moment of it all, seized the opportunity to move his Ireland tally to 18 goals only two short of Frank Stapleton's record. At 35, it seems that neither age nor adversity can knock his career off course.

After two vastly disappointing World Cup final campaigns, it looks as if the big man may yet have a third chance of performing on the biggest stage of all in his adopted France next summer.

His lead goal in the 18th minute, was a classic in far post opportunism and an exemplary exercise in economy of movement after Roy Keane, creeping in behind the back of the Lithuanian defence, had knocked Steve Staunton's free kick back across the six yard area.

That was the fourth occasion since the start of their qualifying programme that Ireland went in front in away games. But it looked as if they had lost that important advantage when Tomas Zlukas delivered a Lithuanian equaliser, travelling like a bullet to the back of Shay Given's net within six minutes of the start of the second half.

In between Roy Keane had collected his second yellow card and the thought of having to beat Romania without their main rallying point, was beginning to knaw at Irish nerves when Cascarino demanded the acclaim of Irish fans for a second time.

Twice in the space of little more than 60 seconds, he had gone close to restoring the lead. In the first instance he was denied by a superb reflex save by goalkeeper Gintaras Stauce and we were still bemoaning that miss when the centre forward launched himself at a cross by Alan McLoughlin and grimaced for a second time as his glancing header struck a post.

Nothing if not persistent, he refused to be deflected in his pursuit of a winner, however, and justice was no more than served when, from another set piece move, he got his head to Staunton's free kick and this time, the trajectory of the header, took it clear of Stauce and into the corner of the net.

The Irish goal survived perilously on at least one occasion subsequently. But this time there were no unsuspected landmines. Even if Lithuania scarcely deserve to rate as one Europe's heavy weights at this early stage of their development, it was an Irish performance rich in character and decorated with some excellent individual performances.

High among those was Staunton's response to the responsibility of captaining the team in the absence of Andy Townsend. After a couple of relatively mundane international performances, he was at his imposing best, strong in the tackle and significantly more astute on this occasion with his deliveries.

Sadly, he was booked, somewhat unfortunately in the second half - the only downside of this display. Once again, the discipline of the team was questionable and if some of the referee's decisions defied logic, it was still disquieting to see the names of Keane, Staunton, Gary Kelly, Shay Given and David Connolly go into his notebook.

Ireland will not win any merit points for the way they have occasionally deported themselves in this series and once again, McCarthy had some pertinent comments to make after the first flush of victory had subsided.

If McCarthy is deserving of praise for his team selection, the players, themselves were quite magnificent in the manner in which they answered the demand for an early goal.

Ken Cunningham, under fire for his display in Iceland, was frequently inspiring at center-back and alongside him, Ian Harte was generally dominant in dealing with the threat presented by Valdas Ivanauskas. Ivanauskas, guilty of several professional fouls, was leniently treated by the match officials but otherwise, was relatively subdued.

Denis Irwin, too, had good reason to be pleased with his contribution on his return to the team at left back and if Jason McAteer and Alan McLoughlin have had better games in midfield, Keane's presence and Staunton's power ensured that the Irish were genuinely in control in midfield.

It was then an occasion of some gratification for the Irish. Now with the pressure off, the prospect of having to tackle the Romanians at Lansdowne, looks significantly less menacing. The weight of Ireland's early assault was sufficient to convince the Lithuanians that, whatever their preconceptions about the likely trend of the game, they could ill afford to take any liberties in defence.

McAteer, ranging across the width of the park, was wide on the right with a shot from just outside the penalty area and with neither the commitment nor the pace of the attack dropping, Lithuania were happy to concede three corners in the opening 13 minutes.

At the other end, Cunningham lost no time in stamping his authority, winning two headers with sufficient power to propel the ball back towards the half way line.

Cascarino's goal when it arrived, fell like the clap of doom on a sparsely filled stadium but the effect predictably, was to persuade the Lithuanians to lift the level of their game.

Their attempts to match the final pass to Ivanauskas's runs, were nearly always ill timed, however, and it was not until the 22nd minute that Given was required to stretch, holding Karbekovas's strongly driven free kick at the second attempt.

Cascarino, falling backwards, was unlucky not to have supplied the decisive finish to a superb move, initiated by Staunton's precise clearance and Connolly's accuracy with the cross from close to the left hand touch-line.