Good evening folks and thanks for joining our live commentary of the Republic of Ireland's second Euro 2016 qualifier as Martin O'Neill's side take on minnows Gibraltar in Dublin. The Irish kicked off Group D with a narrow 2-1 win away to Georgia last month, while Gibraltar went down 7-0 to Poland. Surely O'Neill's troops will make it back-to-back victories here this evening?

It is that 7-0 demolition which offers a temptation to bracket Gibraltar alongside San Marino and that ilk. Should we? I don't think so. Here's why:

A 20-year campaign paid off in May 2013 when Gibraltar were granted their full UEFA membership, which has allowed them to compete in competitive outings like today. They have since played their first official friendly - a 0-0 draw with Slovakia last November - before going on to beat Malta 1-0 in June to secure their first ever recognised win! Not bad for a team that did not exist in the eyes of UEFA just 18 months ago, eh?

It is especially impressive considering they only have two professional footballers in their ranks - Scott Wiseman of Preston North End and Jake Gosling of Bristol Rovers. So, how do the others earn a crust? I'll tell you.

Goalkeeper Jordan Perez is a full-time fireman, and he can draw on that experience to combat the red-hot Robbie Keane, who has five goals in his last three games for Los Angeles Galaxy. As a storeman in a factory, midfielder Raphael Bado is well use to going from box to box but he'll do well get beyond the halfway line regularly this evening.

Joseph Chipolina is an admin clerk, but we're not too sure what an admin clerk does so you can go ahead and make up your own clever line for this one. Maybe he's the staple of the Gibraltar team? Get creative.

Right, before we have a closer look at Ireland let's delve into some team news first.

Republic of Ireland XI: Forde; Ward, O'Shea, Wilson, Meyler; McGeady, Gibson, Hendrick, McLean; Hoolahan; Keane

Gibraltar XI: Perez; Wiseman, R Chipolina, J Chipolina; Walker, B Perez, Gosling, Rado, Payas; K Casciaro, L Casciaro

Right let's start with the Republic of Ireland and I can tell you that John O'Shea wins his 99th cap tonight. Fair play to him. The Waterford man starts in defence along with Marc Wilson, David Meyler and Stephen Ward. Jeff Hendrick and Darron Gibson line up in midfield, while two-goal hero from Tbilisi Aiden McGeady starts on the wing. Veteran hitman Robbie Keane captains the side and leads the attack this evening. Decent attacking team.

On to Gibraltar now and Jordan Perez, the aforementioned fireman, starts in net. Scott Wiseman, perhaps their only high-profile player, starts in right-back in a defence that includes Roy Chipolina, Gibraltar's joint top goalscorer of all time with one goal. Lee Casciaro spearheads the attack. Will he see much of the ball?

We spoke about Gibraltar picking up some decent results given their very brief existence, but this one should most definitely represent six points from six in Group D. We could be forgiven for considering this a training match ahead of Tuesday's clash away to world champions Germany, but the Irish players can't look that far ahead. It's been billed as an exercise in damage limitation for the visitors, but Ireland must focus on the result before they worry about boosting their goal difference.

Beard watch: Incidentally, I can confirm that O'Neill's assistant Roy Keane has blown the dust off his Mach 3 and has had a shave. He did, in truth, resemble a man that spent his days drinking cider in a park, but he's back to his fresh-faced former self now and he's looking decent it has to be said.

IT'S GONE! Keane's whipped off his beard... why?! http://t.co/zsLs4omc4k pic.twitter.com/bA57j9XnVQ — MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) October 10, 2014

Here's what he used to look like:
© Getty Images

Both sets of players are out on the field now as the game gets a presidential seal of approval, with president Michael D Higgins exchanging some pre-match handshakes with the players.

It's 1-0 to Ireland in the national anthem stakes, anyway. The Gibraltar players did not seem to know the lyrics to their anthem. Let's hope they're singing from the same hymn sheet in time for kickoff, eh? We're about two minutes away now.

Decent enough crowd at the Aviva Stadium to be fair. Plenty of seats available, but you expect that for what should be a non-contest. Still, decent turnout.

Kickoff! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off and it's already 3-0 to Ireland. It's not. Poland were only leading 1-0 against Gibraltar at half time last month, so it may take time to break them down.

Promising start from the Irish as you'd expect, as goalkeeper Perez comes out and flaps at Stephen Ward's cross. It remains the only touch by a Gibraltar player thus far...

Chance! Probably should be 1-0 here, my friends. McGeady swivels on the edge of the area and ghosts past Joseph Chipolina before dinking a teasing cross for the unmarked Wes Hoolahan, but he heads over the bar from close range. Good chance.

Didn't take long, did it? Credit to Hoolahan, who capitalised on a shocking kick-out from Jordan Perez and played a superb outside-of-the-boot ball to McGeady, who unselfishly passed across to Keane to tap home from close range. It's that simple!

He's had a few awful kick-outs Perez. He literally cannot kick it past the halfway line, which does not bode well.

Save! We've just given Perez a bit of stick for his kick-out, but my word has he made amends. The keeper has just produced a fine reflex save to deny James McLean's close-range volley. Well done to him. Still, it was a good chance from McLean, and he'll feel that he should have scored.

Ireland playing well so far, doing well to box Gibraltar in their own half and they look to strike quickly when they win it back. Incidentally, it's 80-20 to Ireland in the possession stakes thus far.

It's 2-0 and the goal bears a striking resemblance to the first goal. Another shocking kick-out from Perez gets snapped up by the Irish, and Hoolahan plays Keane through on the goal as the veteran striker just rolls it past Perez from then. Simple as you like.

Penalty to Ireland! Keane will now have a chance to wrap up a 17-minute hat-trick. He went around Perez but saw his shot cleared off the line, before Hoolahan gathered the rebound was then taken out by the keeper.

This feels cruel to watch. Keane, cool as you like, steps up and converts from 12 yards. It's no exaggeration to say that all three goals directly stemmed from errors from goalkeeper Perez, whose under-hit kickouts were punished for the first two goals, before he fouled Hoolahan for the penalty.

Good set-piece chance now from the Irish as the tricky McGeady was fouled. This is very un-Irish, though. They take it short instead of playing it into the box! For 90 minutes Ireland will feel like Barcelona.

Good work from Jeff Hendrick, who breaks up a rare Gibraltar attack. James McLean surges forward, ghosting past right-back Wiseman before swinging a cross in for Keane, but it's over-hit and trickles out for a throw-in. This is the longest period we've gone without a goal, and it's only been about six minutes.

Slightly better from Gibraltar, who try to get forward but they just don't have the quality to fashion meaningful attacks here.

McLean is running riot here. He's been brilliant down that left-hand flank and he's just won a corner, but it comes to nothing as Perez comes to collect the cross to a 'wahey' from the Irish fans.

Save! Good from McGeady, who beats Wiseman and fires an angled shot at Perez, who fumbles the save but does well to smother it under pressure from Hoolahan.

Close! So close from Hoolahan, who makes a mug out of Aaron Payas before taking aim from outside the box, but his effort whistles ever so narrowly wide. Fine effort.

Chance! Could, and definitely should, be 4-0 folks. McGeady find himself one-on-one with Perez, but he goes for power instead of precision and, surprisingly, the keeper makes the save, tipping it over the bar.

It's been 20 minutes since the last goal, which represents a victory in itself for Gibraltar, who were three down inside the opening 17 minutes. They've rode their luck a little since, and Perez has made a few decent stops to preserve the three-goal deficit.

Five minutes from the break now and operation 'damage limitation' will be halfway toward its completion. Ireland have gotten a little bit lazy with the passing since going three up, and it's almost too easy now. Their foot is well off the gas now.

Irish fans are loving this. The 'Ole ole ole' chant has barely stopped since the first goal.

This one has petered out ever so slightly. Robbie Keane netted a first-half hat-trick inside 17 minutes, but Ireland, despite plenty of chances, have failed to build on that advantage. There's no threat of Gibraltar getting back into it, but Martin O'Neill will want to bolster the 'goals for' column now.

Incidentally, Robbie Keane now sits on 65 international goals. Not bad, is it? He will most definitely want to add to that haul by the end of the evening because, like all great strikers, he's a greedy little so-and-so.

Can they build on it, though? How often have we seen teams rage into a healthy half-time lead only to take their foot off the gas? That's the only question.

We'll be back in action in a few minutes folks, so stay with us to see if Ireland can add to their haul.

Substitution: One sub to tell you about as Gibraltar replaces Rafael Bado with Robert Guilling for this second half.

Goal!!!! Aaaaand we're back underway here and it's already 4-0, my friends. 30 seconds into the second half.

And it's McLean, who bags a deserved goal. Keane drives at Gibraltar's defence before unselfishly squaring for McLean to slide home the fourth. This one could be a snooker score now!

Speaking of snooker scores, here's a bloke who enjoyed his fair share of demolitions. Former world champion Ken Doherty, with Republic of Ireland legend Paul McGrath at half time.

Catching up with @kendoherty1997 at half time :) pic.twitter.com/kYeqEtUJG2 — Paul McGrath (@Paulmcgrath5) October 11, 2014

Disallowed goal! It probably should be five, my friends. Gibson's free kick looked to have deceived everyone and crept in at the far post, but the linesman ruled it out on the assumption that John O'Shea, standing in an offside position, might have got a flick on it.

It is five now, and what a disastrous evening for Gibraltar keeper Perez, who is unlucky. He really is. Wes Hoolahan's shot is cleared off the line and it deflects off Perez and flies in via the bar.

Oh dear, I do feel quite sorry for Gibraltar, who just aren't up to it and they're facing humiliation now. Keane's feeble shot is palmed away by Perez, who palms it straight to McLean and he just strokes it home.

It's history for Ireland now as they set a goalscoring record at Lansdowne Road/Aviva Stadium, beating the 6-0 win over Cyprus years ago. I don't know what to say about that last goal. Imagine playing a one-handed man in a game of FIFA. Hoolahan effectively walked into the box and passed the ball into the net. Really poor from a Gibraltar perspective.

"We want 10," chant the Ireland fans now. However, Gibraltar have a corner!

Substitution: Perez, who conceded seven goals, is coming off to a standing ovation at the Aviva Stadium. It's gone a bit jovial, which is good to see but it's a Euro 2016 qualifier that feels like a friendly. Not right, is it?

Chance! Gibraltar nearly pull one back through Joseph Chipolina, who gets on the end of that corner I mentioned and David Forde does well to tip it over the bar.

Substitution: Daryl Murphy and Kevin Doyle come on to replace Robbie Keane and Wes Hoolahan. O'Neill clearly has an eye on Germany on Tuesday.

Chance! And Doyle nearly scores with his first touch, glancing a McGeady corner ever so narrowly wide of the post.

Gibraltar are nearly in again just then but David Forde does really well to smother possession after a bit of confusion from John O'Shea and Marc Wilson. Can they score tonight? You'd like them to, but it's so unlikely.

Goalkeeper Jamie Robba has done quite a bit better between the sticks than the man he replaced. He still has a clean sheet for starters, and he looks far more commanding than Perez ever did.

The sting has been taken out of this one slightly, which goes to show how dangerous Keane and Hoolahan were! Still, around 17 minutes left. The fans might not get the 10 goals that they crave, but they might get one or two more. Would you back against it? Me neither.

They're winning a few free kicks now Gibraltar as Ireland get a bit frustrated. The visitors throw another corner into the box now but it's not as successful as their last one, where they very nearly scored.

Kevin Doyle is furious with the referee following a really bad challenge from Liam Walker. He has a case, too. It was a dangerous shoulder barge right in the back. Lucky to escape a yellow card, really.

Ireland, who look like settling for just the seven, now prepare to swing in a corner. It's Robbie Brady and Robba makes a clean save from Wilson's header. It's indicative of just how bad Perez was that I feel compelled to praise Robba for catching the ball.

We're roughly five minutes away from full time now and those few substitutions have really taken the sting out of Ireland's attack. There will be one or two more chances, but it should end up seven.

Chance! Really good save from Robba, who prevents an eighth goal after denying McGeady's slightly feeble header. That was probably the chance to reach eight.

There was two mini games of football going on there for around 15 seconds before the referee realised that there was two balls on the field! Kinda sums up the night.

That's all she wrote here in Dublin, my friends. Truly convincing display for Ireland, who head into Tuesday's clash with Germany on the back of a morale-boosting SEVEN-goal win.

Stay tuned for player ratings and analysis because we'll have both for you shortly. Until then, see you next time and enjoy your weekend ladies and gents. I'll leave you with this:

© Getty Images