MIKEY JOHNSTON is worried about his international future but on this evidence you would wonder why.

He stole the limelight from James McClean on his 103rd and final appearance for Ireland, not to mention Stephen Kenny’s swansong as manager.

Kenny won’t be kept on and his post-match lap of the pitch with the players, applauding fans, had all the hallmarks of a goodbye.

Read More Stephen Kenny seemingly waves goodbye at the Aviva following 1-1 draw with New Zealand

For an hour at least, his makeshift team appeared to be playing their part in producing a performance he would approve of.

We should bear in mind that New Zealand are ranked 103rd in the world - sandwiched in between India and Lebanon.

But Ireland played decent stuff at times and the 26,517 crowd enjoyed what they were seeing.

Still, the loudest cheer was for the pitch invader on full-time whose fancy footwork was only rivalled by Johnston’s

But by then, this team had reverted to type by failing to show even a hint of ruthlessness.

The bottom line with Kenny’s is that there have been too many disappointing nights, too many deflating results under his watch.

There was nothing on the line here, so it hardly matters, and yet it was a performance entirely in keeping with the Kenny era.

Passive, underwhelming and, late on, utterly uncomfortable as New Zealand created a bagful of chances to win it only for sub keeper Mark Travers to excel.

Johnston and Travers were the only shining lights while Andrew Moran - who replaced Johnston late on - became the 21st player to make their senior bow under Kenny.

That will be Kenny’s legacy - the enabler who blooded a new generation for others to try and reap the rewards from.

Sections of the home support booed on the final whistle although it was quickly drowned out by the PA, but it signaled the need for change.

For 78 minutes, Johnston cut the look of a player brimming with confidence after a steady run of club games this season.

But nothing could be further from the truth, as his one and only appearance off the bench for Celtic illustrates.

Before the Holland game last weekend, Johnston admitted that he feared for his international future if Kenny was moved on.

“He has called me up when other managers probably wouldn't as I've not been playing as much as I would like,” he said.

But Kenny is going and, clearly, Johnston was doubly motivated here - repay Kenny for showing faith in him but remind the next manager of his worth.

And Johnston was Ireland’s catalyst for that decent opening hour, whipping up an air of excitement for the small crowd every time he got on the ball.

He can’t get into the Celtic team under Brendan Rodgers - a frustrating development for the Glasgow-born ace who was excited by the manager’s return to Parkhead.

After all, Rodgers was the man who first took a punt on the winger, handing him his Celtic debut as a teenager.

It’s not that Johnston expected favours because of it, but the lack of minutes this season has left him with big decisions to make in January.

But here with Ireland, playing for the other manager who put everything on the line for him, Johnston was particularly eager to please.

He might have scored himself early on after a lovely run into the box that left Kiwi defenders rooted to the spot, only to fall over as he pulled the trigger.

McClean, on his grand farewell, then had a shot blocked close in following a flowing Irish move peppered with intricate passes.

And Johnston had fans purring again with another dribble into dangerous territory before squaring for Matt Doherty, whose cross was disappointing.

Doherty and Adam Idah squandered a scoring opportunity at the near post when they collided into each other, but Idah made his mark soon after.

Mark Sykes, on his first start and third appearance, harried the Sligo Rovers defender Nando Pijnaker and forced him to cough up the ball.

Sykes stabbed it towards Idah who wasn’t sure if he was onside or not, but drilled home a low shot for his third senior international goal

New Zealand rarely threatened but Caoimhin Kelleher was alert once they finally did, clawing a bending Sarpreet Singh shot from distance away from the top corner.

And Jasyon Molumby almost doubled the lead with an early second-half effort that fizzed past Max Crocombe’s post.

But while Ireland looked capable of kicking on, they did what they’ve done best under Kenny by failing to capitalise.

They allowed the All Whites to pull level in the 59th minute as Shane Duffy’s toe-poked clearance fell to Matt Garbett who beat half-time sub Travers from 20 -yards.

And Travers was then at full stretch to keep out a Singh effort moments later as the Kiwi’s looked to build on their momentum.

The visitors had all sorts of chances to seal it late on, whereas even Evan Ferguson’s late arrival couldn’t end the Kenny era on a winning note.

And that in a nutshell has been the recurring theme for the last three years.

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