Republic of Ireland can do 'a little better' after win - Hallgrimsson

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Bulgaria surprisingly took the lead in Plovdiv with an early goal from Marin Petkov just six minutes into the match. However, the visiting team responded with strikes from Finn Azaz and Matt Doherty, enabling them to take the lead prior to halftime.

They carry a slight edge into the return leg in Dublin on Sunday, and Hallgrimsson is aware that there is room for improvement as they strive to maintain their position in League B.

"We can definitely improve a bit. This is merely the first of two matches. We are eager to travel to Dublin and play at our ground," he said to RTE.

Hallgrimsson expressed satisfaction with the “character” displayed, noting how the Republic bounced back from an early setback to secure only their second away victory since he took charge.

"I thought our performance in the first half was commendable, even though it was unfortunate to concede from their initial attack," he added.

"I was simply hoping we would keep adhering to our game plan [after Bulgaria's goal], and we did manage some impressive sequences, which was exactly what we aimed for, making me pleased at halftime.

"It was a strong reaction with good character shown, along with solid runs and crosses in the first half. There was a slight drop in that intensity during the second half, yet our defensive display held up quite well."

'Probably the easiest goal I have ever scored'

Scorer Azaz shared his excitement about netting his first international goal from close range, which highlighted a strong first-half showing from the Middlesbrough midfielder.

"[Troy Parrott] set it up perfectly for me, so I owe him a thank you. Robbie [Brady] also delivered a fantastic ball, and I just needed to be in the right spot," he mentioned to RTE.

"It was likely the simplest goal I've ever scored; I don't often score headers, so I'm thrilled to have gotten one tonight."

The 24-year-old is confident that his team can draw significant confidence from their performance on a challenging pitch at the Hristo Botev Stadium, which led to a disjointed second half.

"The playing surface was difficult, but I believe we performed well, we are still developing, and our confidence is growing. We will take a lot from this.

"We created numerous opportunities and dominated the first half; it was primarily about managing the game in the second half."