Victory hides serious flaws

In the end, Ireland and Giovanni Trapattoni were spared a final indignity.

Whatever happens over the next few days, the manager can point to the fact one rot has been stopped; the run of historically poor humiliations is over.

After a last five competitive games in which Ireland produced the worst ever international performance, narrowly avoided a disaster in Kazakhstan and then endured a biggest ever competitive home defeat against Germany, Trapattoni’s side ultimately beat an initially spirited Faroe Islands side with relative ease.