A 1-1 draw between Wales and Northern Ireland at the Cardiff City Stadium was proof that sometimes it is actually okay just to go through the motions.
Both associations fulfilled their contractual obligations after missing out on a final World Cup play-off. The players ran about and did their bit, and the crowd - with an impressively enthusiastic Northern Irish contingent, who had paid a lot of hard cash to be there, - did their best to pretend their thoughts were not elsewhere in the Land of Might Have Been.
This was, according to FIFA, not a friendly, but an “International Challenge Match”.
Presumably, if you work for FIFA, then you don’t go down the pub with friends but with People of Mutual Social Benefit.
There was one moment which summed up the evening, when Northern Ireland took the lead midway through the first-half.
Their fans, clustered tightly together at the far end from where Jamie Donley reacted smartly to beat Karl Darlow, celebrated jubilantly for a few seconds before they seemed to remember the deep inconsequence of leading a match that meant so little, so abruptly stopped.
Wales fans were much the same when Sorba Thomas flicked the ball home from close range just after half-time.
There was a flicker of excitement, or perhaps relief, and then a return to the low key calm, the prevailing mood of most of the match.
The encounter came just days after both nations saw their qualification hopes ended — Wales beaten by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland losing to Italy — in a fixture many had questioned the value of beforehand.
A sparse crowd, despite the game being officially sold out, reflected that mood, although those in attendance were treated to a competitive if low-stakes contest.
Northern Ireland struck first and threatened to record a rare victory in this fixture, something they have not achieved since a win in Cardiff nearly half a century ago.
The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Jamie Donley reacted quickest after his initial header from Justin Devenny’s cross rebounded off the post, stabbing home from close range.
The visitors had looked the more dangerous side up to that point, with Isaac Price particularly lively.
He had earlier sent a teasing ball across goal and later tried his luck from distance after spotting goalkeeper Karl Darlow off his line, forcing a scrambling save.
Wales, who made five changes from their previous outing, struggled to create clear openings before the break.
Lewis Koumas tested Conor Hazard after capitalising on a misplaced pass, while Harry Wilson sent a free-kick wide and Joel Colwill saw a header blocked on his first senior start.
However, the hosts responded immediately after the restart. Within moments of the second half beginning, David Brooks drove forward and Sorba Thomas was quickest to react to a loose ball in the box, finishing from close range to restore parity.
The equaliser extended Wales’ unbeaten record against Northern Ireland to 10 matches, a run stretching across several decades.
Both sides pushed for a winner as the game opened up. Wilson went close with a curling free-kick that was well saved, before firing another effort narrowly wide from the edge of the area.
At the other end, Darlow produced an excellent stop to deny Ciaron Brown from point-blank range, ensuring Wales remained level.
There was still time for late drama as Northern Ireland nearly snatched victory, but Callum Marshall’s header drifted just over the bar in the closing moments.
In the end, neither side could find a decisive goal, settling for a draw that, while lacking the intensity of a competitive fixture, at least offered a measure of response after the disappointment of the play-offs.
