Although Andorra's early goal provided an unexpected element of drama in what was billed as something of a non-event, this was a match that Ireland were always going to win.

I suppose one has to credit our visitors for manufacturing a score from one of just half a dozen adventures up field. And I wouldn't necessarily single out any of the Irish players for blame here. It was a well-delivered free kick and a bullet of a header. Sometimes you have got to accept a goal on its virtues, even if it is scored by one of the world's more obscure sides.

The goal was a blessing in disguise. I suspect Mick McCarthy was seething at that stage, not only because of the concession of the score but also because Ireland were guilty of utterly overcomplicating the game up to that point. Giving away a goal stung the team, it angered them and it was in the minutes following the restart that Ireland played its most positive football, scoring twice equally to restore, well, sanity.

Sometimes players have to recognise that there is simply no need to pass and dribble around teams. Route one was more than sufficient here. I think it was only with the introduction of Steve Staunton and Steve Carr in the second half that we began to play with the directness required to force our opponents onto the half-turn, when they looked patently uncomfortable. We had people like Mattie Holland and Kinsella coming out to take the ball of the back four early on - we didn't need it. Breen and Dunne could have strolled out unopposed. And it is small things like that can drive a manager absolutely mad. All they needed to do was to come out, play in the opposition half and commit people. And I think that is a lesson we should adhere to when it comes to playing minnows in the future. But against that, in the past we might have been held to a draw.

It has to be said that their 'keeper, Alfonso Sanchez, did quite well, given that he is probably the smallest international shot-stopper I have ever witnessed. But his height begs the question: did we get enough crosses in? I don't think so. Every time the ball was sent in, they looked under pressure. And I feel we were even over elaborating in those situations.

Gary Doherty was involved in a couple of Ireland's goals and it is probable that his ninety minutes will have been of value to him, especially if he is called upon to line out for the crunch game against Portugal. But Doherty, I think, was guilty of fighting the Andorran centre back at times. Whenever he drew them in and stepped back out, he had a free header. Sometimes he tried to power through them, which is what they are most comfortable dealing with.

I can't stress enough that this game means diddly-squat, apart from the result. There is no real virtue in pondering who achieved what. Even in this context, few of the Irish lads stood out last night. Ian Harte was very consistent in his delivery and as is customary, was a threat from dead balls. But overall, I don't think this is an evening that the players will cherish in the long term. I said it was a necessary nuisance and so it materialised. There was an underlying lack of professionalism about the Irish attitude at times but I don't think that it is indicative of any deep-rooted problem.

It all stems back to the opposition. Andorra probably gave one of their more distinguished performances last night and good luck to them. I don't like to see teams of this calibre in World Cup football; I think they belong elsewhere. They came and acquitted themselves reasonably well but there was no disguising the chasm in class.

Looking at the bigger picture, This facile wins preserves Ireland's winning streak; we are outright leaders of the group and we enter into the last, epic straight of this qualifying campaign in buoyant form. If one were to isolate the merits of the team on how it acquitted itself last night, well, then there would be cause for grave concern. But we have to look at it within context. Ireland have performed a lot more smoothly against far superior opposition and will do so again.

But the question is, how good are we? The next teams that come to Lansdowne Road will be serious footballing sides and our ability to raise our game to match theirs will determine our whereabouts next summer.

In an interview with Keith Duggan