In the end it was over almost before it began. The two goals scored in the opening 11 minutes ensured that, whatever else Saturday's match at Lansdowne Road might be remembered for, it wouldn't be as a contest. As it happened, few were complaining, for, briefly, it even seemed as though Mick McCarthy's men might score enough goals to seriously threaten Portugal's position at the top of World Cup qualifying Group Two.

As the chances slipped past one by one, though, it became clear that while the Irish would win they would do so comfortably rather than gloriously. And as had been expected, their chances of finally reaching next summer's World Cup finals will now depend on the side's fortunes in its traditionally unhappy hunting ground of the play-offs.

Avoiding them had, in reality, depended on the Portuguese slipping up against the Estonians in Lisbon, an unlikely prospect but one which, nevertheless, it seemed foolish to rule out after the carry on between England and Germany earlier in the afternoon.

And so Ireland set about ensuring that they at least won their own game, and made such a convincing start to their quest that scarcely had the last of the latecomers among the 35,000 crowd taken their seats than goals from Ian Harte and Niall Quinn had them two up and victory was all but a certainty.

News from the Stadium of Light not long after, that the Portuguese had themselves taken the first steps towards a comfortable win, killed off any lingering hopes of automatic qualification in the Irish camp.

But Quinn's goal alone, which finally guaranteed the vastly popular striker his record-breaking 21st international goal on his 35th birthday, ensured a party atmosphere would endure to the end of the evening regardless.

Even without a string of their better and most experienced players, the Cypriots, to their credit, clearly set out to take a positive approach to the game. Coach Stavros Papadopoulos played three at the back and attempted to counter Ireland's wide attacking options with one of his own, Georgios Theodotou, on the right.

The Omonia midfielder, though, was to have only fleeting opportunities to show his attacking skills, and his side were unfortunate in that, after the early goals, their gameplan for the rest of the first period was reduced to being little more than a damage limitation exercise.

The Irish goals were good. Harte's curling free to the top right corner had left Cypriot goalkeeper Nikos Panayiotou helpless, and Quinn's diving header to meet Kevin Kilbane's cross to the far post eight minutes later both suggested that McCarthy's players were in just the form to harvest the rich pickings that would be available to them over the half an hour that followed.

Despite a first-half performance as strong as any he has produced for his country from Kilbane, and the home side's virtually complete dominance of midfield, much of what followed from the locals around the Cypriot box was actually disappointing.

Roy Keane, more than once, Quinn and Kilbane all might have added to the Republic's lead before the break, while David Connolly's spectacularly misdirected attempt to head home Mark Kennedy's cross after 21 minutes would surely have haunted the Wimbledon striker had McCarthy not left him on to end his two-year run without an international goal in the second half.

The home side took their almost traditional nap early in the second period, and McCarthy, who revealed last week his dislike of the Mexican wave for the indication it provides that the crowd are not greatly engrossed by events on the pitch, can hardly have been surprised to see one break out around the stands.

As the half progressed, the visitors even carved out two or three decent chances to score, although the best of them didn't come until eight minutes from time when Theodotou pounced on a mistake by Harte.

Yiasoomis Ylasoymi should have turned his team-mate's cross home but missed entirely, and Shay Given then did well to smother Christos Kotsonis's attempt to slip the ball in from beyond the far post.

By then, however, it was already 4-0 and an element of romp had returned to the Irish display. Not long after the hour, Quinn and Kilbane combined well to set up Connolly on the edge of the box and the 24-year-old turned well before firing into the bottom left corner.

Four minutes later Roy Keane completed the scoring with another low shot, this time from the right, that again sped between Panayiotou and his right-hand post.

Realistically, there should probably have been another couple after that, but when Steve Staunton, who turned in another commanding performance in central defence, sent Clinton Morrison clear with a stunning long pass, the Palace striker's first touch wasn't quite good enough to yield a clear-cut scoring opportunity, while Connolly, who he then passed to, initially did well before shooting weakly straight at the goalkeeper.

Staunton, though, had an even more spectacular trick up his sleeve, and with the game in injury time he started a sweeping move out of defence that involved both Keane and Connolly before the Dundalkman came within a whisker of scoring his ninth goal in 92 caps.

It would have been a marvellous end to a good day's work by the Irish, but a glance at the Group Two table this morning will be enough to remind them that, despite their remarkable achievements of the past 13 months, there will be at least one more opportunity for heroics before this unforgettable qualifying campaign finally draws to a close in the middle of November

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given (Newcastle United); Finnan (Fulham), Breen (Coventry City), Staunton (Aston Villa), Harte (Leeds United); Kennedy (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Keane (Manchester United), Holland (Ipswich Town), Kilbane (Sunderland); Quinn (Sunderland), Connolly (Wimbledon). Subs: Carsley (Coventry City) for Kennedy (64 mins), Morrison (Crystal Palace) for Quinn (68 mins), McPail (Leeds United) for Kilbane (84 minutes).

CYPRUS: Panayiotou; Daskalakis, Melanarkitis, Konnafis; Theodotou, Satsias, Nikolaou, Christodoulou, Kotsonis; Okkas, Ylasoymi. Subs: Louka for Konnafis (67 mins), Themistocleous for Okkas (84 mins), Kontolefterou for Ylasoymi (88 mins).

Referee: J Roca (Spain).