Graphic: Results, tables and analysis of the weekend's World Cup qualifying games

Rain poured from the leaden skies and a rainbow appeared over the empty stand in the quarter-full Bruchweg Stadium. It provided a suitably moody backdrop as Ireland, managed by an Italian, defeated Georgia, coached by an Argentinian, in Mainz, Germany, to secure their richly deserved pot of gold.

Few World Cup qualifying campaigns can have opened in more surreal circumstances. That the group eight fixture should have been played in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, on Saturday evening lent a political undercurrent to the occasion. That the stadium in which the evacuee nation staged its fixture is situated on Dr Martin Luther King Way added extra poignancy. Only when peace and harmony is restored to their country can they enjoy the true meaning of home advantage.

Still, it had little to do with Ireland, even if they had initially lobbied to have the match switched to a neutral venue. They turned up, talked a good game under the new and bewitchingly eccentric stewardship of Giovanni Trapattoni, their 69-year-old manager, and duly delivered. For the moment, the bitterness and rancour of the brief era of Steve Staunton, Trapattoni’s out-of-his-depth predecessor, have disappeared.

Ireland were tight and cohesive – a unit. Players knew what they had to do, having honed their skills in an unbeaten run of three friendly matches, and displayed diligence and patience.

Trapattoni’s English may be limited but his message is clear: “Believe”. It is one of his favourite words and, for too long, Ireland’s belief has lingered between minimal and nonexistent.

“I saw a team with order, with good mentality,” Trapattoni said. “They are happy in the dressing-room, morale is higher. They believe now. Qualifying is a long time, it is too early to think about it yet, but we are convinced we can go a long way towards it.”

Yesterday morning, after the squad had trained on a mountain top at the SV Wehen club in Taunusstein, near Wiesbaden, Trapattoni reiterated his growing faith. “Some countries, they underestimate themselves,” he said. “We should not be arrogant but we should not underestimate ourselves. We have to have heart, the right willingness. We are not Brazilian, we’re not Portuguese, but we stick to our style.”

Trapattoni can resemble a kindly grandfather. Yet after Levan Kenia had scored for Georgia and further agitated Héctor Cúper, their animated coach, in injury time – offering a grim reminder of Ireland’s old tendency to self-destruct from a position of strength – he stomped from the pitch at the end. He was not a happy Trap. “We have a saying,” he said. “You have to crash against the wall before you realise it’s a wall.”

In other words, Ireland’s defenders will be advised not to make the same mistake again. Brian Kerr, Staunton’s predecessor, would also be advised to temper his continual criticism of Trapattoni and his methods. “If Jack Charlton [the legendary former Ireland manager] was criticising me, I would be happy because he is a winner,” Trapattoni said, leaving plenty of room for interpretation. Kerr has been warned.

Steven Reid is a winner, too, and his return from a long-term injury lay-off and redeployment in central midfield has revitalised Ireland. Reid is the engine and Glenn Whelan, alongside him, the oil. Until tiring, the pair ticked over in tandem, the springboard for most of Ireland’s attacks and the sponge that absorbed Georgia’s fleeting and futile probes.

“A few people are not happy at conceding that goal,” Reid said. “We need to stamp that out if we’re going to stand a chance of going to [the finals in] South Africa. I really enjoying playing with Glenn. The team is going in the right direction and I’m just loving every minute of getting on the green jersey again.”

Kevin Doyle nodded Ireland in front and, after Robbie Keane had struck a post, Whelan swerved in a 35-yard strike thanks to the generosity of Giorgi Loria, the fumbling Georgia goalkeeper.

Kenia’s late frightener failed to mar a composed performance in a group that already has signs of mass unpredictability. Italy, the world champions, beat Cyprus 2-1 on Saturday courtesy of a winner two minutes into stoppage time and Bulgaria drew 2-2 in Montenegro with the aid of a last-minute equaliser. It is to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, that Ireland go on Wednesday, keen to build on their newfound confidence and further erase the litany of false dawns.

Georgia ratings

4-4-2

G Loria 3 G Shashiashvili 4 K Kaladze 5 Z Khizanishvili 5 U Lobjanidze 4 L Kenia 7 D Odikadze 5 Z Menteshashvili 6 L Kobiashvili 6 A Iashvili 5 R Aleksidze 4

Substitutes D Siradze 6 (for Aleksidze, 62min); L Mchedlidze (for Iashvili, 77); M Asatiani (for Khizanishvili, 82). Not used L Salukvadze, L Khmaladze, G Makaridze.

Ireland ratings

4-4-2

S Given 5 S Finnan 6 J O’Shea 5 R Dunne 7 K Kilbane 7 A McGeady 5 G Whelan 6 S Reid 8 S Hunt 6 R Keane 7 K Doyle 7

Substitutes L Miller (for Doyle, 77min); P McShane (for Finnan, 80); A Keogh (for McGeady, 87). Not used A Reid, D Delaney, D Murphy, D Kiely.

Referee Z Szabo (Hungary) Attendance 28,500