For most of this night, Ireland laboured to an expected win in an unexpected fashion. A sport that needs to sell itself was perhaps always going to struggle with this one.
A five-minute VAR check, to confirm Jess Stapleton’s first international goal, Ireland’s fourth, summed up a turgid, tortuous affair that tumbled with late drama to offset lengthy longueurs.
The bottom line is all that matters and this semi-final first-leg result effectively seals the Irish berth in a Euro 2025 final qualifier against either Slovakia or Wales next month.
The Tbilisi toil won’t have worried either country.
As that pair duelled thrillingly before the return in Cardiff, this was a much more sedate, often somnolent affair.
Ireland only led 1-0 in front of around 1,200 patrons at the Mikheil Meskhi II Stadium at half-time after a Katie McCabe penalty.
In the only two recent meetings during World Cup 2023 qualifying, the Irish had compiled comfortable four-goal leads en route to nine and 11-goal thumpings.
Israeli boss Iris Antman has carved a rugged outfit and they were much more rigid here, defying a poor visiting display that lacked imagination or verve.
Georgia, remember, are ranked 118; this gave going through the motions a bad rep. Ireland (24th) breezed through a six-game sequence last autumn featuring teams a level above Georgia.
Kyra Carusa’s neat finish before the hour doubled the advantage and secured a result that was never in doubt.
Only the artistic merit was.
McCabe provided a signature flourish as a retort, but even her proverbial banger bequeathed an odd feeling as the previously excellent goalkeeper decided to abandon all her previous logic in aiding its passage.
McCabe then seemed to assist the fourth, turned in from a chaotic corner, with substitute Stapleton notching her first international goal as the Georgians became satisfyingly hapless.
Marissa Sheva’s fine late finish marked her return from the international wilderness on a night when Ireland often veered towards it, while Aoife Mannion nodded in to give the scoreline a flattering flourish.
Ireland were attempting to swerve what would be one of the sport’s most astonishing reverses, the visitors made five changes to the side that had pulled out the year’s most significant coup so far, the summer 3-1 victory against France.
Most notable was the appearance of experienced reserve netminder Grace Moloney, slotting in for the first time in four years while the suspended Courtney Brosnan awaits her return to the posts in Tuesday’s Tallaght tie, as she missed out for the first time in 30 games.
“The ultimate teammate,” as boss Eileen Gleeson called Moloney.
Carusa also returned from injury, linking up with Ireland’s latest WNL starlet, Abbie Larkin, who had notched her debut international goal up the road in Gori three years ago but has seen her international career stall somewhat since that glorious World Cup cameo last summer.
The eyes were going to be drawn towards Larkin and her fellow forwards rather than Moloney’s role; one could hardly label it an audition, merely an obligatory stand-in.
A seventh cap in eight years represents a paean to willing patience and she would need lots of it here.
Ironically, she was tasked with the first save of the game, a gentle clutch from Maiko Bebia’s free-kick following Lily Agg’s indiscretion.
The Georgian keeper was flinging herself at crosses, but there was little of great peril to raise anxiety levels.
Even so, Mannion and Larkin had combined to create the first chance after a minute, slotting Denise O’Sullivan for a shot that flashed wide of Tatia Gabunia’s right post.
Larkin herself volleyed over from the first corner, as an enthusiastic band of singing Ultras loyally roared on their doughty minnows.
Anna Patten was wearing a mask – a tad early for the Hallo’ween Catwoman and there hadn’t been any issue related by management before the game.
It seemed to temporarily be blinding; her pass to Aoife Mannion was intercepted by the diminutive captain Ana Cheminova and the tiny stadium squealed in anticipation of something.
There was nothing.
Ireland busied, McCabe and O’Sullivan, the ageless artistes, combined to do the best elements of a fitful enough early assault.
A common theme for Ireland, and one that might haunt them in the next round against a superior outfit, Slovakia favourites to occupy the play-off final next month after their impressive home display.
After Bebia’s shot on target, a first corner from the next attack. The Ultras’ pounding beat raised a notch.
Bebia even effected a dash of skill on halfway after another errant Larkin ball. They were enjoying themselves, endearingly.
Ireland were simply enduring.
O’Sullivan tried a shot from Carusa’s chest down from distance, but it was straight at Gabunia, who was immediately afforded with mighty acclaim by the PA man, clearly enjoying himself too.
She cleared a corner, for another, and a defender hugged her tightly. They may be out of their league, but they were playing out of their skins.
Midway through the first half, McCabe was already exhorting ref Rusta with complaints about some rough stuff.
The weight of numbers in either side’s attacking formation always rendered an upset utterly unlikely; the great disappointment was that Ireland’s quality going forward didn’t match the quantity devoted to it.
The best move took 21 minutes to fashion, culminating in Julie-Ann Russell’s deft header from Larkin’s cross being flicked over the bar by emerging national hero Gabunia.
From the other wing, McCabe’s beautiful ball deserved a finish but got an ugly one instead from the bustling Larkin.
Ireland’s reliance on booming crosses was understandable but though accompanied by obvious width, represented a lack of wit.
And then, in an instant, the defiance was ended, from a cross, of course, but self-inflicted, after Natia Danelia’s bizarre body tic followed another handball from Nino Chkhartishvili, even if VAR had to check.
They didn’t believe their eyes either.
Katie McCabe neatly slotted the resulting penalty, then cupped her ears at the silenced chorus in the same corner of the stand, waving and offering a thumbs up.
Perhaps more a reflection of their performance than the singers.
Ireland re-emerged early after a presumably heated interval discussion. Their response would be illustrative.
The service from wide continued to be the primary ploy, this time Carusa shaving the crossbar from McCabe’s deep set-piece.
An incongruous counter-attack should have prompted promise but Agg fluffed her lines as she and Carusa faced a two-on-two just beyond halfway.
That was Agg’s last contribution and Marissa Sheva’s return from the wilderness coincided with Ireland’s emergence from mediocrity.
Carusa’s stylish fitness finished a beautiful move down the right, decorated by a sublime O’Sullivan thread that allowed Larkin to arrow her cross to the American-born striker’s feet.
Now the gaps were appearing.
McCabe, further forward, found one and in the 67th minute delivered her signature long-range highlights reel contender in the blinking of an eye.
Gabunia somehow blinked and dropped her hands instead of raising them.
Sheva added a grace note with a cracking strike in the ten minutes of added time, Gabunia now utterly bewildered by it all as Mannion also nodded past.
And, all around her, heads dropped even further. Ireland had held theirs.
Their Tallaght audience may be a bit more demanding in four days.
Georgia: Gabunia; Gasviani, Kalandadze, Chkhartishvili, Narsia; Pasikashvili (Kankia 69), Danelia, Bebia; Kadagishvili, Khaburdzania (Ambalia 76), Cheminava capt (Mtskerashvili 90).
Ireland: Moloney; Patten, Hayes, Mannion; Larkin, Agg (Sheva 56), Toland (Stapleton 75), McCabe capt; O’Sullivan; Russell (Atkinson 90), Carusa (Kiernan 75).
Ref: E Rusta (Albania)