This may be a new era for the Republic of Ireland, and the start of a bright new future, but of course the new dream team have to rely on the same old goalscorer.

There are two Keanos back on board in Dublin but it was goalscorer Robbie and not Roy who drew the greater acclaim again on Friday night and took his Irish scoring record to 62 in his 131st appearance.

The LA Galaxy striker, just weeks away from the mid-season break which will allow him to attend to an on-going, long-running Achilles problem, slotted home a typically instinctive goal from close range to get the Martin O’Neill/Roy Keane partnership off to a perfect start.

Latvia were the lambs to the slaughter on a big night for Irish football, and did not disappoint.

But Ireland still had to deliver a performance for a crowd who had responded to the new regime, and the cheaper ticket prices.

The new era and the game started with the energy and intent that O’Neill had wanted. In fact so emphatic was Ireland’s opening that they could have been three-up before Keane scored in the 22nd minute.

The new Ireland boss, who is looking to add to his coaching staff before the March friendly against Serbia, said he would spend most of his first few days on the training ground with his new players working on set pieces and routines.

Ireland had two free-kicks in the first 12 minutes and should have scored from both.

The first was in the first minute when James McClean – given a licence to run at defenders that O’Neill had given him at Sunderland – was tripped by Vladislavs Gabovs near the left-hand corner.

Aiden McGeady’s initial cross was headed clear by Nauris Bulvitis straight on to the left foot of Keane whose shot was blocked on the line with Vanins helpless. Unfortunately the clearance was made by John O’Shea who was knocked off his feet by the power of the Keane volley.

The second came from another McGeady free-kick, deeper into the corner, this time after Vanins had rushed from his area and carried the ball with him.

The Spartak Moscow winger played the ball low to Wes Hoolahan at the edge of the visitors’ area and he clipped the ball into the crowded area to find Keane who saw Vanins make immediate amends by grabbing the ball on the line.

Having received a forceful shove in the back from Gabovs as McGeady placed the ball, McClean lost his marker to get the decisive touch to the in-swinging corner, laying the ball neatly into the path of Keane who could not miss on this occasion.

There was applause from the new manager, and his assistant did the same after punching the air and rising from his leather seat behind the technical area where O’Neill remained in for most of the night.

But it wasn’t just set pieces that Ireland relied on as they looked to put down an emphatic marker for their new dream team in front of a 40,000-plus audience.

There was invention and enthusiasm behind their football too, and the home side should have been out of sight before Swedish referee Andreas Ekberg brought the first half to a halt.

The best move came in the 35th minute when Marc Wilson ventured forward from his centre-back position to find Stephen Ward, the player he had replaced at left-back in the latter stages of the Trapattoni era.

Ward advanced beyond the Latvian defence to the by-line to play a first-time cross into the area which O’Shea met with a forceful diving header which was too strong for Keane to re-position his body and manage an effort to trouble Vanins.

The lively McClean then skipped past three men but dragged his shot wide on his weaker right foot before James McCarthy also shot off target from further out.

As for the recalled Keiren Westwood at the other end, the Sunderland keeper was virtually untroubled as Latvia struggled to make any impression.

There were chances for Ireland to add to their lead after the break, with James McClean the most wasteful when he shot over inside the area after a drilled Seamus Coleman effort had been blocked.

But the deserved second goal came in the 68th minute when McGeady, who was switched to the left by O’Neill, was allowed to run and shoot from 25 yards.

The Spartak Moscow flyer’s shoot shifted in mid-air before flying past the out-stretched Vanins, who made one fine stop to deny substitute Andy Reid a third.

And 11 minutes from the end a fine four-man move down the Ireland right brought the third goal. After Reid’s enticing pass into space, McClean spotted Seamus Coleman to his right, played another perfectly weighted pass into his path and he found substitute Shane Long to tap in his 10th Irish goal.

—Daily Mail