The Republic of Ireland boosted their chances of reaching Euro 2016 after consolidating third place in Group D with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Georgia in Dublin tonight.

Jonathan Walters bundled a Jeff Hendrick cross home on 68 minutes as the hosts opened up a four-point gap between fourth-placed Scotland, who lost 3-2 to Germany in Glasgow.

Here, Sports Mole sorts the heroes from the villains at the Aviva Stadium.

© Getty Images

Goal

Shay Given: Had barely anything to do for 90 minutes. (6/10)

Defence

Seamus Coleman: Got up and down the field all night long and was unlucky not to score one of the great Ireland goals when his volley was punched away in the first half. (7/10)

John O'Shea: Let Mchedlidze boss him around early on, but the Sunderland man had the last laugh. (6/10)

Ciaran Clark: Excellent block to deny Mchedlidze in the first half, but then found himself exposed minutes later when Okriashvili capitalised on the space between him and Brady. (6/10)

Robbie Brady: Very shaky start but swiftly put it behind him and the Norwich City man was arguably Ireland's best player on the night overall. (8/10)

Midfield

Jeff Hendrick: Would have been a night to forget if not for that memorable assist, which papered over a very ordinary performance. (6/10)

Glenn Whelan: Regularly involved in both halves, but picked up a stupid booking for dissent that rules him out of the Germany clash in October. (5/10)

James McCarthy: Missed some of Ireland's better chances and his passing looked to have desserted him at times. (5/10)

Wes Hoolahan: Looked like one of Ireland's most exciting players in possession, but he did not get on the ball enough to dictate the game. (5/10)

Attack

Jon Walters: Not always involved but so often decisive, Walters was Johnny on the spot for his adopted nation once again with good movement en route to bundling home Hendrick's delivery. (8/10)

Robbie Keane: Hauled off at the break after struggling to lead the line effectively, but should have done better with a first-half volley that he sent over from close range. (5/10)

Substitutes

Shane Long: Replaced Keane at the break but struggled to get more involved than his predecessor. (5/10)

James McClean: Okay cameo, but got himself booked within a minute of coming on with a stupid challenge that rules him out of the Germany visit next month. (4/10)

Goal

Nukri Revishvili: Pulled off some excellent saves in both halves. Revishvili was a big reason as to why there was such relief over Walters's goal. Very decent overall. (7/10)

Defence

Ucha Lobjanidze: Struggled to contain the energetic Brady for the most part, and was one of those two players beaten by Hendrick in the build-up to the decisive goal. (4/10)

Solomon Kverkvelia: Alongside Khizanishvili in central defence, barely put a foot wrong but was in no-mans land for the winning goal. (6/10)

Zurab Khizanishvili: Looks like Frank Leboeuf - and played like him tonight. Superb defensive performance to thwart Ireland time and time again. (7/10)

Alexander Amisulashvili: Denied Ireland a certain second in the final quarter with a good block to thwart Shane Long. (6/10)

Midfield

Giorgi Navalovski: Could, and should, have done much better to track the run of Walters en route to the decisive goal. (4/10)

Jaba Kankava: Good first half as he regularly penetrated Ireland's defence with tidy passing, but he could not sustain that standard throughout. (5/10)

Guram Kashia: Sloppy in possession but excellent without the ball, constantly stifling Ireland's midfield pair of McCarthy and Whelan. (7/10)

Vako Kazaishvili: Struggled to have much of an impact in midfield and was subbed on 64 minutes. (4/10)

Tornike Okriashvili: Showed why he is thought of as Georgia's best player with an excellent first half, but his influence greatly diminished as the game wore on. (6/10)

Attack

Levan Mchedlidze: Missed Georgia's best chance of the game on 12 minutes with an effort that should have tested Given far more than it did. Went off injured in the final 10 minutes. (4/10)

Substitutes

Giorgi Papunashvili: As Georgia's first sub, initially had a degree of influence but it became less and less as his cameo fizzled out. (5/10)

Mate Tsintsadze: Had his blushes spared by Amisulashvili after losing possession to Whelan in a dangerous area before Long failed to turn it home. (3/10)

Written by
Shane Callaghan