GARETH Farrelly's eyes were smiling this morning as he trained with the Irish squad for tomorrow night's World Cup qualifier against Andorra.

Only a week ago the Dubliner was distraught, fearing defeat at Crewe had wrecked Wanderers' hopes of an automatic promotion place.

But things are looking up again and Reebok boss Sam Allardyce has hailed the 25-year-old midfielder as the central figure in the push for the Premiership.

"One of the most outstanding figures we've got is Gareth Farrelly," the Wanderers' boss acknowledged today.

"He's all over the pitch; he's controlling the midfield and controlling the game for us.

"He's done exceptionally well."

Farrelly has been one of the unsung heroes of a season in which Wanderers have never been out of the top six and enjoyed a 16-week spell in runners' up spot before being overtaken by Blackburn last month.

It's a far cry from a year ago when, after a £150,000 transfer from Everton, he suffered a succession of setbacks, including family bereavements and injuries, and failed to hold down a regular first team place.

The hard work he has put in to raise his fitness levels is now paying off and, in addition to the intelligence he brings to the midfield, he has added energy and tempo to his game which is appreciated by his team-mates and his manager.

Fellow midfielder, Kevin Nolan, is struggling though. The 18-year-old has a groin strain and is out of the England squad for Thursday's European U-18 Championship qualifier in Poland and only has a 50-50 chance of being available for selection for Saturday's vital Roses battle at Barnsley.

Events at Blundell Park tonight could have a major bearing on Wanderers' promotion prospects but Allardyce isn't heading for Grimsby.

Instead, while Blackburn are aiming to stretch their one point lead to four, the Reebok boss will be on the continent, scouting for new players.