SOCCER ANALYST: The Irish players were well up for the official start of the Trapattoni tenure
CHAMPAGNE FOOTBALL it was not, but, as we all are aware, away wins are precious, so Giovanni Trapattoni and his team should be delighted to have procured three points in potentially difficult circumstances. It was a sound, workmanlike performance, with the positives outweighing the areas of concern for now.
The high-octane work-rate of the midfield four and front two set the tone early on, and from the game's initial moments there were signs the Georgian team were somewhat demoralised at the forfeiture of their home advantage.
Indeed, the switch to Mainz made for a strange atmosphere, with such a small attendance, empty terraces and little obvious signs of the importance of the game to either nation.
I can still see Georgia taking the points from other nations if they are allowed return to Tbilisi. It must have been soul-destroying for them to lose a home fixture like this. They are a better team than what we witnessed here.
It can be said they were not in the mood on Saturday, but that's of no concern to us.
The Irish players were well up for this official start of the Trapattoni tenure.
To use a cliché, they beat what was put in front of them. Can't ask much more really.
The extent of our control and dominance was indicated by the fact Shay Given, for a change, didn't have to bail us out, despite being beaten late on by 17-year-old Levan Kenia's decisive finish. Rarely has Shay been so inactive at this level in recent years.
And, with our experienced full-backs Steve Finnan and Kevin Kilbane rarely overlapping the wingers, there was little opportunity for Georgia to counterattack in the wide positions, as per their game plan.
The defensive errors evident in Oslo, when Finnan, in particular, was caught too far upfield, were ironed out.
Kilbane's determination, once again, to always be available showed why he has been rated so highly by four Republic of Ireland managers in succession. His extraordinary levels of consistency deserve more respect from sceptical fans. In these days of Big Time Charlie footballers, he is an outstanding example of decency, commitment and maximum use of talent.
The John O'Shea/Richard Dunne centre back pairing was sound, even if there was little threat from the Georgian attack. Both made critical interceptions when called upon.
The central midfield combination of Glenn Whelan and Stephen Reid worked well for the most part, although they lost their tight reign for a spell until Whelan's goal killed off the Georgians. That is understandable: all half-decent international sides will have periods of dominance. It's how a team deals with such pressure that counts, and maybe we have turned the corner in not conceding a goal during the most strenuous moments.
Getting to 2-0 despite losing control of possession for a sustained period is the main plus point from this encounter.
Reid's athleticism and brisk, penetrative passing were superb, and while Whelan's goal was fortunate, he has always had a high scoring rate from long range and set-pieces.
Our wide men, Aiden McGeady and Stephen Hunt, put in tremendous night shifts, although neither was particularly effective in the final third, apart from McGeady's excellent cross for the goal.
On Saturday I said the balance of the team could be improved with Andy Reid's inclusion. I still feel this to be true. Our wingers took too much out of the ball and conceded possession cheaply. As a result, our front men rarely received the type of early service that they, especially Robbie Keane, thrive upon.
In mitigation, our midfield four outplayed Georgia's five-man midfield for most of the game, with our central two dealing with Georgia's flooding of the area. But it won't always be so easy on the road ahead.
I was delighted to see Doyle's industry rewarded with the excellently finished headed goal, as he and Keane set the tone, along with Hunt, in chasing down defenders from the off. Keane's opportunities were limited apart from his lively reading of Kaladze's back pass, which led to his shot hitting the post from a tight angle. Robbie was involved in the build-up to both goals and his performance was more disciplined and team-serving than in previous games.
There will be concern that we looked vulnerable at defending set-pieces, with Iashvilli allowed a free header from a first-half corner. He should have scored. Kenia's late, late goal and Norway's goal in Oslo also came off set-plays. With lots of time working on set-piece defending in training, Trapattoni will be disappointed. With big men like Dunne, O'Shea, Kilbane, Reid, Whelan and Doyle now in the team, we really shouldn't have a problem in the aerial scraps.
The use of Liam Miller as first sub for Kevin Doyle and Andy Keogh for McGeady would suggest Andy Reid remains low down the current pecking order, especially given Damien Duff is to return. That remains a shame.
Stephen Reid's explosive shooting from central free kicks is a real asset, but Hunt's delivery from wide positions lacked the quality Andy could provide.
But let's not nit-pick too much. This was mission accomplished with the kind of away win we have not seen for some time and a decent performance as well. The circus moves on now to Montenegro.
