AT FULL TIME a vivid rainbow suddenly appeared across the Bruchweg Stadium from behind the rain. The Republic of Ireland’s fans must have seen it as a portent of things to come under their inspirational new manager, Giovanni Trapattoni.

The manager seems to have both luck and the midas touch so far. Gifted with a game at a neutral venue in Germany because of the Russian occupation of Georgia, a hugely awkward tie suddenly was filled with one full of optimism and Trapattoni’s Ireland succeeded in taking full advantage.

A goal in each half, the first after 13 minutes by Kevin Doyle and the second midway through the second half from Glenn Whelan, secured a well-deserved win, even if there was a scare right at the end when Levan Kenia pulled one back for Georgia.

Ireland are notoriously brittle once they took the lead and they hung on for the last two minutes, thanks to the relief of Ireland’s supporters who made up around half of the 4,500 spectators s who showed for the game.

Whether they will find the pot of gold at the end of the campaign is another question.

Trapattoni had announced his team on Thursday, with the unfortunate Andy Reid losing out to Stephen Hunt in terms of who would deputise for the injured Damien Duff. We waited only to see how Kevin Kilbane looked with a facial mask designed to protect the fractured cheekbone he received playing for Wigan the week previously and to see how Ireland would go about justifying their obvious favouritism going into the game.

The Georgian captain, Kakha Kaladze, had promised that his side would show the same amount of passion in adversity that saw them defeat Wales last month in Swansea in his absence. However, Ireland had the better of the early exchanges, with Hunt threatening down the right wing before switching to his more familiar position on the left.

With McGeady back on the right wing, Ireland had a swift dividend. Doyle and Keane scrapped for the ball on the right hand side of the box and the Ireland captain then emerged with the ball due to some slack Georgian defending.

He made a short pass to McGeady whose instant cross from the deadball line found Doyle at the near post and his header from four yards flew past Giorgi Loria.

The Georgians had pinned much of their hopes on the ability of Schalke’s Levan Kobiashvili to earn some decent possession in the centre of midfield but Glenn Whelan and Steven Reid were dominating the space, allowing Hunt in particular to make some dangerous runs down the left. The Georgians frequently had to resort to illegal methods to halt him and from an Ireland free kick on the left side of the box, Loria charged from his line and could only punch the ball into the path of Whelan on the edge of the box.

Glory awaited the Stoke player and his contact was firm but the goalkeeper made amends by punching clear again close to his penalty area. Hunt had plenty to say during the week about why he should have been playing in the Premier League with Everton rather than finding himself back in Championship football and here was a performance that at least lent plenty of weight to his words.

On 25 minutes he was brought crashing to the ground by Zurab Zhinanishvili, who was booked and up stepped the Georgians club teammate Steven Reid to crack a low free kick from 25 yards that the butter fingered Loria could only parry.

Doyle threatened a second with the follow up but a high Georgian boot got the ball clear.

From an Irish point of view it was highly encouraging but Trapattoni has spoken about the lapses in concentration and the little details that have let the team down in the past and on 36 minutes Ireland got a rude reminder. Levan Kenia’s corner from the right found Alexander Iashville unmarked inside the six yard box but he somehow headed over.

O’Shea himself was guilty of the same profligacy when he headed over McGeady’s corner shortly after half time and there followed a nervy period when Ireland appeared to drop deep and invite Georgia back into the game.

But Reid in midfield was a hugely steadying influence in the centre of midfield in his first competitive game in nearly two years.

The Georgians also contributed handsomely to their own difficulties with a series of hazardous backpasses to the hapless Loria and on 57 minutes they should have become permanently unstuck.

Under pressure from Doyle wide on the right, Kaladze could only manage a feeble attempt at finding his keeper and Keane nipped in.

Having taken the ball past Loria he couldn’t complete the task, hitting the upright instead of the open net from a mildly acute angle on the edge of the box.

The ball rebounded right into the path of McGeady but he shot wide from the edge of the area when he had a great chance to score his first goal for his country on his 20th appearance. It took another relative newboy, Glenn Whelan, to make Ireland secure, but even he will acknowledge the fact that Loria had done all but stand aside and usher the ball into the net.

The imperious Reid, collected the ball from hunt and nudged it on gently to Whelan in plenty of space but about 30 yards from goal. The Dubliner packs a meaty shot as different Championship goalkeepers have found, but this was not one of his stronger efforts.

Still it bounced slightly awkwardly in front of Loria and having completely misjudged the pace and flight of the ball he allowed it slip under his body.

His embarrassment and dismay was only matched by Whelan’s glee at scoring his first goal for his country. In injury time Levan Kania pulled one back for Georgia after wriggling free in the box.

GEORGIA: G Loria; U Lobjanidze, Z Khizanishvili, K Kaladze, G Shashiashvili; Z Menteshashvili, L Kobiashvili, D Odikaze L Kenia; A Iashvili, L Mchedlidze (Siradze 60mins)

IRELAND: S Given; S Finnan (P McShane 79mins), R Dunne, J O’Shea, K Kilbane; A McGeady (A Keogh 85mins), S Reid, G Whelan, S Hunt; R Keane, K Doyle (L Miller 76mins).