IT was a goal fit to win a cup final.

For an instant, Shaun Maloney felt like it just might have done. The little forward felt Parkhead reverberate after caressing in the immaculate late finish which gave Scotland a priceless Euro 2016 qualifying victory against the Republic of Ireland in November and the only comparison he could come up with was the sensation of winning the FA Cup with Wigan in 2012. Maloney had a footnote in one of the more memorable Wembley moments when his injury time corner was met by the forehead of midfielder Ben Watson to give the Lancashire side the first major trophy in their history. Something similarly inspirational may be required to repeat the feat against a full-strength Republic of Ireland side at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, but Scotland under Gordon Strachan are up for the cup.

"I haven't really been in a stadium that has reacted like that for a while," recalled Maloney. "Probably the FA Cup final at Wembley was the last time. It was a similar feeling when that part of the stadium erupted so I was pretty aware at that moment how everyone was feeling. I haven't looked at the goal again on youTube, I don't tend to do that much. But I'm sure I will at some point in the next few years. I haven't even watched the game again, although we've seen parts over the last few days."

Maloney might not have been watching but you can rest assured that Martin O'Neill, his former manager at Celtic, has. The margins could be equally fine in a match between these two equally matched teams this time around, and set plays against a tall, physical Republic of Ireland side - just as they frequently used to be in the days of Andy Roxburgh and Craig Brown - could be the difference between joy and despair. Unfortunately, Maloney feels the chances of catching his old gaffer cold in such a manner again are slim to non-existent.

"It wouldn't surprise me if there was a set-piece," he said. "Even the last game, we hit the bar, and they hit the bar late on from a set-piece. You hear managers constantly speaking about how important they are to defend and attack.

"But even when we've played internationals since, teams are aware of what other teams have done previously because there's so much video footage available now," he added. "So I can't see anything like that working again."

The last meeting between these two sides, managed by two of Maloney's former managers, was pulsating and there is every reason to expect the same again time around. While Scotland went into the last one desperate for victory, now it is O'Neill's side who face the pressure of playing catch-up in Euro 2016 qualifying group D. "It was a really good game to be a part of - the atmosphere, trying to find a way to score a goal," he said. "I don't think this weekend's game will be too dissimilar. I wouldn't say a win is imperative. But it would be a massive result if we could win."

The Tartan Army would travel 500 miles to see another one of Maloney's goals on Saturday but then no member of the Scotland side currently clocks up more air miles to play for his country. Since moving to Chicago in January, each international call-up has involved some serious transatlantic travel. The flight to and from Glasgow takes six and a half hours and he tends to sleep on it to reduce the jetlag. It depends how far in advance the flight is booked as to whether he gets to travel club class but being short occasionally has its advantages.

Yet if Maloney thought life stateside was expected to be a stress free existence, he has had to think again. While he enjoys remaining incognito off the pitch amid the superstars of the windy city's baseball, basketball and American football teams, on it there has been little hiding place. Chicago Fire, under the leadership of Frank Yallop, currently sit no better than 18th in the overall MLS standings, and as a franchise player, a fair amount of the buck stops with Maloney. On top of that you have his own assistant manager Mark McGhee, who admitted this week he was rather incredulous that Maloney and Robbie Keane, two players he rated so highly, are playing at a level which he deems as championship level at best.

"I feel it was a little harsh," said Maloney of those comments. "It's really difficult to pitch it at a level. I've said championship previously, but within that you have some real top players such as Keane, Kaka, and Steven Gerrard. But Mark has obviously watched quite a few games and he feels they haven't been great.

"My team at the moment is not doing particularly well," he added. "But it's not something I want to think too much about. In the last week to 10 days our owner has made a pretty big push to try and make the play-offs. There's pressure there, so that sort of brings its own intensity. I've had a lot of family across. Surprisingly they seem to visit more than they did when I was in Manchester!"

As it happens Maloney was speaking 17 years to the day from the last time Scotland kicked off at a major tournament. A fresh-faced Aberdonian teenager at the time, his memories of that day in Paris when Craig Brown's side opened the 1998 World Cup with a 2-1 loss to Brazil are still vivid.

"I think for everyone involved, '98 feels so long ago," he said. "I was about 15 and would've been in Aberdeen watching it at mine or one of my friends' houses. I always remember them turning up in their kilts - that's the abiding memory."

Maloney's only previous experience of the Aviva stadium came in off-season friendlies such as Celtic against Inter Milan. It may be played during a period traditionally known as off-season between two nations who tend to regard each other as Celtic cousins. But there will be nothing friendly about it.