There will be a very unfamiliar feeling around Northern Ireland’s Euro qualifier against Romania at Windsor Park this Saturday evening.

For starters, we don’t usually expect to be playing competitive internationals in the middle of June, and neither do fans of Northern Ireland expect to be thinking seriously of booking flights for the finals midway through the qualifying campaign.

Even the setting on Saturday night will be a little unreal; at the last game a couple of months ago the West Stand at the old Kop end was packed with fans doing the “bouncey” while at the other end the huge concrete blocks of the new structures had no seats. The West Stand, it transpires, was close to what would have been a horrible collapse, and has now been demolished.

This Saturday, the West Stand ticket holders will be in new territory; in green or white seats in a new stand at the far end of the ground.

The project of building something on the pitch appears much more secure, under architect and contractor Michael O’Neill, whose shrewd modern management is making him one of the Irish FA’s better decisions for years.

It’s a delight to see three Fermanagh lads as cornerstones of the O’Neill project. Roy Carroll, Michael McGovern and Kyle Lafferty have all been prominent in the build-up to this crucial game.

As a youngster it’s well known that McGovern was under pressure from some sources to declare for the Republic, but his recent progress internationally has vindicated his decision to opt for the North.

McGovern featured recently in the Scotland and Qatar friendlies, while Carroll and Lafferty featured in the full-scale training match against the Republic in the Aviva last week.

By all accounts, big Lafferty was lively and came close to scoring twice in the first half, and hopes are high than he can continue his fine goalscoring run of Euro form against the Romanians. That wouldn’t do him any harm as regards his club future.

But there are further building blocks being added by O’Neill. He played Paddy McNair in a holding midfield role against Qatar and the emerging Manchester United star excelled. As did left winger Stuart Dallas.

Dallas looked impressive when he came on in the last game against Finland at Windsor for a cameo performance, and the man who’s making great progress at Brentford, scored in the Qatar game (played at Crewe) and then played the full 90 minutes against the Republic.

This allowed Chris Brunt to have a steady game at left back, a position which nobody has nailed down in the Northern Ireland set up recently.

Whether this combination is selected for Saturday remains to be seen; but O’Neill’s choice of Jonny Evans as man of the match alongside the ever reliable Gareth McAuley in the centre of defence may give some indication as to his thinking.

One of the factors in the recent progress has been the first-class preparation for games, and O’Neill has had lots of time with the players again.

Whatever the line-up, fans including many from Fermanagh, will travel up the M1 on Saturday with much optimism; with the health warning that this game can kick you in the teeth at any stage! Northern Ireland are in a good position, though.

On Saturday, they are at home to the group leaders, Romania ranked 12th in the world and to whom they lost 2-0 in Bucharest.

A win against such opposition would be creditable enough in any circumstances, but the points would leave Northern Ireland in pole position in the group, with home games to come in the Autumn against Hungary and Greece and away to the Faroes and Finland.

Qualification for a major tournament is within their grasp for the first time in almost 30 years.

Saturday night fever at Windsor Park may seem unfamiliar, but there is a real prospect that next summer Northern will again be playing competitive international games in June. This time in France.

Unfamiliar? Wouldn’t it be great if it was like this all the time.