Grzegorz Krychowiak opened the scoring on 13 minutes, before a controversial penalty saw the visitors - who needed a win, a 2-2 draw or higher to progress - get back into the contest through Jonathan Walters.

Robert Lewandowski headed home shortly before the break, and the Poles doggedly defended their lead, with John O'Shea sent off late on, to seal their passage into France.

Here, Sports Mole analyses how both sides concluded their Group D campaign.

Poland's midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak scores a goal during the Euro 2016 Group D qualifying football match between Poland and the Republic of Ireland at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw on October 11, 2015. © Getty Images

Match statistics

POLAND
Shots: 14
On target: 8
Possession: 50%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 23

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Shots: 5
On target: 3
Possession: 50%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 20

Was the result fair?

One look at the statistics should paint an accurate picture. The Republic of Ireland did not do enough to earn automatic qualification tonight. It was an excellent defensive effort from Poland, who limited their Irish counterparts to just one clear-cut chance in 95 minutes. Even the visitors' goal had a huge slice of good fortune about it after Martin O'Neill's men were awarded a penalty when it should have been a free kick on the edge of the area. The best team won and the best team can look forward to France next summer.

Poland's performance

The Poles' passage into Euro 2016 never looked in doubt tonight. It looked easy for them, but only because they made it look that way. In defence, the likes of Michal Pazdan and Kamil Glik expertly silenced Shane Long, forcing him to feed off scraps - and even they were at a premium.

At the other end, it was Kamil Grosicki, and not the in-form Lewandowski, who looked the most dangerous, and the Rennes winger found Krychowiak on the edge of the box with a corner, before the Sevilla man drilled home a beautiful half-volley on 13 minutes. It was lovely strike, but such was his all-round performance, it would not take pride of place on his individual showreel of tonight.

An error from the referee saw the Irish level matters when Pazdan conceded a penalty for a high boot on Long. Poland brushed it off and stuck to their task. They had been wronged, but self pity was no help to them or their 65,000 fans and Lewandowski's diving header just before half time was just desserts for them.

With a 2-2 draw enough for Ireland, Adam Nawalka's men began the second half like a team determined to earn a two-goal cushion and effectively kill off an Irish charge. They had chances, with Grosicki and Krychowiak both spurning good opportunities, but it never seemed that they would come back to haunt Poland. They were too focused at the other end, the important end, and Nawalka's side fully deserve their ticket to France.

Republic of Ireland's performance

Victory, or a 2-2 draw or higher, would have been enough to send the Republic of Ireland to France without the anguish of a playoff but, on the back of this, they did not deserve the luxury of automatic qualification. They had luck on their side to some extent, but they did not have the players to trouble Poland's defence.

'The luck of the Irish' adage seemed particularly apt when Pazdan was penalised for a high boot on Long, with the incident occurring just outside the box, but referee Cuneyt Cakir pointed to the spot. Sixty-five thousand Poles whistled at Walters, but he kept his cool with a superb penalty to cancel out Krychowiak's volley minutes earlier.

With five goals conceded, the Irish had the best defensive record in Group D but there were doubts as to whether they could stop the in-form Lewandowski - and they did, but only for 42 minutes. Richard Keogh and Walters were both culpable. Keogh attacked Macynzki's cross, leaving the Bayern star unmarked, while Walters was too slow to react as Lewandowski powered a header past Darren Randolph.

O'Neill's troops seemed consigned to the playoffs, with one goal and a clean sheet needed in the second half in order to secure automatic qualification. Thursday's 1-0 win over Germany in Dublin will have reminded them that anything was possible, though this looked markedly tougher.

It got significantly harder on 55 minutes when Long was stretchered off and replaced by Robbie Keane. With 67 international goals under his belt, the former Spurs marksman was a handy tool to keep in reserve for nights like this, but he never had a sniff. Had it been him on the end of Keogh's late chance, a header which he put straight at Lukasz Fabianski, then the Irish might be now looking forward to a trip to France next summer.

O'Shea's red card changed nothing. It merely ended their tightrope-thin hopes of a late equaliser but a goal was never coming and the Boys in Green now face two more emotional rollercoasters for next month's playoff.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Grzegorz Krychowiak: The Sevilla midfielder, who opened the scoring with a fine half-volley from outside the box, had the game in the palm of his hand for 90 minutes. He was the coolest player on the park throughout and comfortably the stand-out candidate for man of the match.

Biggest gaffe

Keogh or Walters? One of them must take most of the blame for Lewandowski's header just before the break, and it has to be the former. The Derby County defender knew that Lewandowski was lurking, having taken a quick glance to see where he was, but Keogh took his eye off him in order to attack the cross and Lewandowski punished him.

Referee performance

Turkish official Cakir did not cover himself in glory it has to be said, after awarding the Irish a penalty for a foul that occurred outside the box. To his credit, though, he booked five players and he looked to have made the correct decision on each occasion. O'Shea left the Turk with little alternative but to send him off after his cynical foul late on.