Ireland and Georgia's Euro 2020 qualifier against Georgia was brought to standstill as fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch.
In the 33rd minute, which may have been reference to when the FAI suggested Ireland should be the '33rd Team at the 2010 World Cup' - stewards and players were forced to clear the pitch before Conor Hourihane got Ireland's first goal with a beautiful left-footed effort.
The move is in protest at John Delaney who left his post as FAI chief executive after an extraordinary week of financial controversy.
But it wasn’t game, set and match as Delaney only moved sideways into a newly created ‘executive Vice President’ role.
Mick McCarthy has made two significant changes ahead of tonight's crunch meeting with Georgia
His monster €360,000 salary drops to €120,000 per year but many fans cannot fathom how he’s still on the payroll.
Earlier yesterday, Ireland boss Mick McCarthy joked that he will leave his tennis racket behind tonight.
It comes after Ireland players Darran Randolph and Jeff Hendrick pleaded with fans to get behind the team on the pitch rather than focus on matters off it.
Goalkeeper Randolph said: “Come out and support the team. We need support to get off to a good start in the group. It would give us a platform, something to build on.
“It would be a lot easier to go and play if the Aviva is rocking, if there’s an unbelievable atmosphere.”
And Hendrick - who was Saturday’s match-winner in Gibraltar - said: “We all need to stick together.
The fans need to push us on in games. That’s what we need.”
