Clinging to victory against the customs officers and policemen, had Mick McCarthy's Ireland left Gibraltar with less than three points it would have been no crime.

The world's 194th-ranked nation would have been thoroughly deserving of at least a draw here as McCarthy's reign opened with the most unconvincing of wins. New regime, same old problems.

Yes, the gales howling around the exposed Victoria Stadium did not aid flowing football, but Ireland have put in this sort of uninspiring performance in much fairer conditions.

A Jeff Hendrick goal early in the second half - a tidy steer from 12 yards - bailed them out, but Ireland never looked like adding to that as the hosts threatened to inflict what would have been a humiliating outcome for McCarthy on his return to the international stage.

An EasyJet flight took off on the runway behind Ireland's goal inside the first five minutes and low budget just about summed up what they offered during a dire first half. There were certainly no frills about this display.

It was entirely predictable, of course, not just because of the conditions but this was a team who had not scored in the final six hours of Martin O'Neill's reign.

The in-game odds on a draw tumbled from 20/1 to 9/2 inside the opening half, one in which Ireland's best effort on goal was courtesy of a Gibraltar defender.

It was John Sergeant who stooped to intercept Seamus Coleman's cross only to send his header towards the bottom corner.

Somehow, though, goalkeeper Kyle Goldwin flipped the ball over the crossbar. It was a ridiculous save he had no right to make and Goldwin celebrated as if he'd scored a goal.

That apart there were a pair of David McGoldrick efforts that better resembled back passes than shots and the striker then got his feet in a muddle when trying to turn in a Coleman cross from close range.

McCarthy had accommodated both captain Coleman and Matt Doherty - in such fine form for Wolves of late - on the right-hand side and, while they saw a lot of the ball, there was little by way of penetration, a couple of crosses aside. Doherty was duly hooked early in the second half.

By then, though, Ireland were in front, but not before a scare when Roy Chipolina's goal-bound header was shovelled to safety by the panicked palms of Darren Randolph.

Randolph was beaten on 64 minutes but Lee Casciaro's curler skipped inches wide of the upright. This was making for nervy viewing for McCarthy, evidenced by him replacing striker Sean Maguire with holding midfielder Harry Arter.

Shoring things up against Gibraltar, that's about the level of Ireland these days.

Defender Richard Keogh was even urging the referee to blow for full-time during the closing stages.

And so it was that Ireland escaped the Rock with a win.

McCarthy, though, has a mountain to climb if this team are to qualify automatically for next summer's finals