Good afternoon and welcome to the Aviva Stadium. It’s a cracking day on Lansdowne Road – let’s hope we get the game (and the goals) to match!

Ireland v Gibraltar kicks off at 5pm.

First things first, here are the teams. Martin O’Neill makes five changes from the side which won in Georgia last month — Meyler, Hendrick, Gibson, McClean and Hoolahan all start.

Tasty.

Ireland: Forde, Meyler, O’Shea, Wilson, Ward, Gibson, Hendrick, McGeady, McClean, Hoolahan, Keane.

Here’s the Gibraltar team:

Perez, Wiseman, R Casciaro, R Chipolina, J Chipolina, Payas, Perez, Bado, Walker, Gosling, L Casciaro.

There already appears to be a little bit of confusion in the comments section about goal difference, when it matters, and when it doesn’t.

Here’s what you need to know:

In deciding the standings WITHIN each group, if teams are level on points, it goes to head-to-head results first and then ALL results are taken into consideration.

***

For the sake of an example, let’s say Germany win the group, Ireland and Poland finish level on points in second, and the rest are also-rans.

To decide who finishes second/third:

1. Higher number of points obtained in the matches played between Ireland and Poland;
2. Superior goal difference resulting from the matches played between Ireland and Poland;
3. Higher number of goals scored in the matches played between Ireland and Poland;
4. Higher number of goals scored away from home in the matches between Ireland and Poland

Let’s say they’re still level after all that, so criteria 6 to 10 apply:

6. Superior goal difference in ALL group matches;
7. Higher number of goals scored in ALL group matches;
8. Higher number of away goals scored in ALL group matches;
9. Fair play conduct in ALL group matches
10. Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system.

***

It’s only when comparing the teams ACROSS all of the groups (for the purpose of ranking all the third-placed teams to find the best), that the results against the bottom team are discarded.

This is the most interesting thing to happen so far.

If you’re looking for something to pass the time before kick-off and the RTÉ panel isn’t cutting the mustard, here’s a short article on Martin O’Neill’s approach this evening.

ALL WEEK, MARTIN O’Neill has been the most cautious voice in the room.

When he wasn’t answering questions about Roy Keane’s new book, he was trying to manage expectations ahead of tonight’s game against Gibraltar.

Poland didn’t help his case when they put seven past Group D’s minnows last month. That set a high bar for Ireland who, historically, have rarely done these things the easy way.

Remember Liechtenstein and San Marino? Let’s not even go there.

Or, if you’d prefer, here’s an exclusive TheScore.ie interview with Wes Hoolahan:

If I’m playing in the hole I know I have to get in positions where I can receive the ball on the turn and bring other players into the game. Sometimes it is harder when teams come and put five men in midfield. Wherever I’m playing on the pitch I look for pockets where I can find space.

We’re underway…

1 min: Ward delivers a looping cross that the goalkeeper has to punch away

Good early pressure from Ireland.

3 mins: A McGeady cross finds the head of Hoolahan, but it’s a weak enough effort from the Norwich man.

It’s all one-way traffic so far.

GOAL! Ireland 1-0 Gibraltar (Keane, 6′) It’s the dream start for Ireland — and it’s that man Robbie Keane! Hoolahan slices the Gibraltar defence open and McGeady cuts the ball back for Keane to finish.

If there were any early nerves, consider them settled.

What a chance for James McClean to double Ireland’s lead! He fires straight at Gibraltar keeper Jordan Perez from eight yards out.

GOAL! Ireland 2-0 Gibraltar (Keane, 14′) Guess who?! Not content with international goal number 63, Robbie’s gone and got 64 as well.

Hoolahan’s at the heart of it again, pivoting to play the ball through to Keane who holds off Gibraltar skipper Roy Chipolina and rolls it in.

PENALTY FOR IRELAND!

Ireland penalty — and it’s Keane causing havoc again. It’s as if somebody has scripted this evening for him.

He’s one-on-one with Perez and goes around the keeper only to see his shot blocked. Hoolahan follows in the rebound and the keeper clips him, bringing him down.

Our Cypriot referee points to the spot. No prizes for guessing who’ll take this one…

GOAL! Ireland 3-0 Gibraltar (Keane pen, 18′)

That’s the hat-trick. Perez goes left, Robbie goes right, and Ireland’s skipper has a hat-trick inside 18 minutes. And he looks like he’s having fun!

A little bit of the pace has gone out of this in the last few months as Gibraltar retreat and Ireland try to find a way through. It’s an unusual position for Ireland to find themselves in but already people are talking about record wins (8-0 v Malta) and the like.

There’s a pocket of Gibraltar fans down to my left. The “You only sing when you’re winning” chant appears to be coming from them which, quite frankly, deserves a round of applause.

Hoolahan is desperately unlucky not to get in on the act. He cuts back inside Payas and zips a shot just past the post. Most of the ground — myself included — thought it was in. “A whisker” is the official distance, I believe.

Great save by Perez!

Hoolahan — who is having an absolute field day in front of the Gibraltar back four — picks out McGeady and slides the ball through. He goes for power over placement but the Gibraltar keeper shoots out a hand to put it behind for a corner.

Dat guy. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

You can certainly rely on the Gibraltar fans to entertain during any lulls in the action. They give us a rendition of “We’re only here for the Guinness,” followed by a couple of “Who are yas?”

Ireland 3-0 Gibraltar

Well, that was fun. Ireland took care of business inside 18 minutes — now the only question is how many can they get as Gibraltar tire in the second half.

I say the only question but right now, I’m wondering how long the queue for a bag of the Aviva Stadium’s finest chips is.

Back in five.

In the comments section, Ger isn’t too pleased:

Considering both Gibson and Hendrick have had really poor first halves 3-0 isnt a bad score. I still expect us to double that in the second half.

And even against the worst team in world football Stephen Ward still struggled in the first half

Robbie loves a record — Gerd Muller, he’s coming for you!

We’re back. Ireland are unchanged for now, though you’d have to fancy Martin O’Neill to give a few more players a run in this second half.

Gibraltar make a change – Robert Guilling on for Rafael Bado in midfield.

Ireland 4-0 Gibraltar (McClean, 46′) That didn’t take long! Although, truth be told, there’s a strong hint of offside about Ireland’s fourth.

McClean looks to have strayed beyond the last man but initially, he’s not interfering with play as Keane collects and bears down on goal. In a moment of charity, Keane squares and McClean then taps in to the empty net at the back post.

Ireland 5-0 Gibraltar (Perez og, 51′) This one is particularly cruel on keeper Jordan Perez. Keane tries to dink the ball over him but it drops to Hoolahan, whose shot is blocked on the line.

As Perez tries to get back into position, he inadvertently chips the ball into his own net.

Ireland 6-0 Gibraltar (McClean, 53′) The floodgates are well and truly open now! McClean gets his second, and Ireland have three in the space of eight second-half minutes.

Perez does well to get down and stop Keane’s first shot, but he palms it straight back out to McClean who is following in to poke home the rebound.

Ireland 7-0 Gibraltar (Hoolahan, 56′) Another one! That’s FOUR in just over 10 minutes.

It’s no more than Wes Hoolahan deserves after a fine night. He comes back inside the Gibraltar defender and takes it to within a couple of yards of Perez’s goal before scooping it in.

That matches Poland’s seven-goal haul in Faro last month. The Irish record — 8-0 v Malta — moves even closer.

SUBSTITUTION: A nice, if slightly unusual, moment as keeper Jordan Perez is subbed off to a standing ovation from the Dublin crowd. It seemed like a genuine gesture and Perez was happy to return it.

Jamie Robba is the man in the firing line now.

GREAT SAVE BY FORDE! Gibraltar very nearly have a goal as Liam Walker swings in a corner and Joseph Chipolina powers in a header. Forde hasn’t had much to do — but he was alert there.

DOUBLE SUB FOR IRELAND: There’ll be no more for Robbie tonight. El capitan is off, as is Wes Hoolahan, with Kevin Doyle and Daryl Murphy on for the last half-hour.

IRELAND SUB: Robbie Brady is on for Stephen Ward. It looks like James McClean will slot in at left-full and give someone else a chance to get in among the goals.

James McClean celebrates goal number six... James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

... and goalkeeper Jordan Perez gets a standing ovation as he is substituted after conceding a seventh. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

To Gibraltar’s credit, they keep coming forward in search of a consolation goal. John O’Shea has to be alert to get to Ryan Casciaro’s diagonal before Robert Guilling does.

Daryl Murphy has a chance to head in a record-equalling eighth from Brady’s corner but he gets underneath it and it’s well over the bar. He’ll argue that there was a slight nudge in the back but the ref doesn’t seem too interested.

The Mexican wave is in full flow. That is all.

Another headed chance for Murphy from a Brady corner. He’s backpedalling though and there’s no real power in it. Robba saves easily.

It’s probably just as well that Ireland are seven up because they’re not exactly rock solid at the back any time Gibraltar come forward. Guilling tries to clip the ball back to Lee Casciaro but it’s scrambled clear.

It really should be eight for Ireland. Gibraltar lose the ball as they push forward and Ireland break through McGeady. He opens up the play with a pass out to Brady and then drives into the box for the return. He gets there before Robba but heads the ball into the keeper in mid-flight.

With a bit more direction, that was in.

Nearly another calamitous own goal for Gibraltar as Joseph Chipolina, clearly forgetting that his side are 7-0 down, tries to be way too casual and chest the ball back to Robba.

The keeper isn’t quite on the same wavelength though and as the ball bobbles past him towards the empty net, he has to scramble back and collect.

Daryl Murphy really could have scored a hat-trick (of headers) since coming on. Again, it’s a Brady corner; this time he glances it wide.

Ireland 7-0 Gibraltar

That’s all from here. To be honest, Ireland couldn’t have asked for much more — a 7-0 win does the goal difference no harm at all, dents the myth that they always struggle against small teams, and gives the confidence a nice boost ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Gelsenkirchen.

And for now, Ireland are top of Group D.

Wes Hoolahan is the official man of the match.

We’ll have more reaction and analysis over the course of the evening. Thanks for reading.