BENEATH the imposing Gori Fortress, Georgia’s defence was anything but, as Ireland edged closer to history and a World Cup play-off place with another destruction of the Group A minnows.
Katie McCabe’s hat-trick took her tally for the campaign to seven - three more than anyone else in the entire group - while there were two for Louise Quinn and firsts for Niamh Fahey and Abbie Larkin.
Megan Connolly and Denise O’Sullivan also got in on the act, as Ireland returned to second place ahead of September’s final two games at home to Finland and away to Slovakia.
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The maths are simple now - win against the Finns and the play-off is secured.
Even a draw, as Finland’s last match is against Sweden, should be enough.
Fahey’s first goal in 104 caps had more than a hint of controversy, as replays appeared to show her finish with her hand, rather than her head.
The Ireland team bus was given a police escort on the 80-minute journey from their base in Tbilisi to Gori’s Tengiz Burjanadze Stadioni.
The local plod could well have spent the rest of the evening investigating a brutal assassination of their local heroes, who conceded 20 goals in their two meetings with the Girls in Green.
While Ireland broke records last November with their 11-0 win over Georgia, last night's 9-0 win equalled the biggest ever away success against Malta in 2003.
Ireland were in attack mode for most of the evening. Heather Payne, Denise O’Sullivan, Katie McCabe and Megan Connolly tormented their hosts, who all but gave up hope of scoring themselves.
Apart from a couple of hit-and-hopes from distance, which were easily dealt with by Courtney Brosnan, and one in the second-half that forced a diving save, it was one-way traffic.
Georgia’s lack of ambition was summed up late in the first-half when Turkish referee Melis Ozcigdem had to warn goalkeeper Tatia Gabunia over time-wasting, at 3-0 down.
Her opposite number Brosnan, meanwhile, spent most of the match at the midway point between her goal and the halfway line.
She mostly cut a lonely figure as the only player within 60 yards of the Irish goal.
At the other end, O’Sullivan could hardly believe the amount of space she was getting inside the final third to receive the ball and turn.
Once again, it was a joy to watch the link up play between O’Sullivan and Arsenal ace McCabe, and the fantastic touches by O’Sullivan that meant she could make the most of the visiting defence’s generosity.
Payne too was getting in on the act. Her pace and energy convinced Vera Pauw to play her as the loan centre-forward in the 1-1 draw in Sweden.
The Florida-based attacker was isolated for most of that game and ran herself into the ground, but last night she was far more comfortable on the right of attack.
Payne had already caused a couple of problems by the time she picked up the ball on six minutes from Fahey’s forceful tackle on halfway and fed it inside to O’Sullivan.
The Cork native looked left and played it into the path of McCabe, who took one touch and rifled the ball high into the roof of the net from 16 yards.
With the early nerve-settling goal in the bag, Ireland upped the tempo and were two-up on 13 minutes.
Connolly was a serious offensive threat both from her advanced midfield position and from set-pieces, where her corners were the stuff of nightmares for the hosts.
When her in-swinger was met at the back post by Louise Quinn, and nodded the ball back across goal, Fahey stuck out her head and her hand, and appeared to slap the ball into the net.
Several Georgian defenders protested, but the referee was having none of it.
The Irish attacks continued, and Connolly, from a McCabe corner, made it 3-0 from close range.
O’Sullivan and McCabe linked up on 24 minutes and the Arsenal ace’s shot on the turn was saved, while Fahey was denied a second by a headed block.
McCabe’s thunderous 25-yarder was tipped onto the bar by Tatia Gabunia, while O’Sullivan and Connolly also went close.
But there was time for one more first-half goal - just about - when Connolly’s short corner to McCabe was lifted over the keeper and inside the far post by the Gunners star.
The half-time break did little to stem the Irish momentum. Barrett and O’Sullivan had chances, before Louise Quinn got her first of the game with a thumping back post header from Connolly’s cross.
Gabunia in the home goal then denied O’Sullivan, Connolly and Barrett, before substitute Lily Agg was denied her second goal in two games by the referee’s whistle.
Shortly after McCabe’s 30-yard free kick was tipped around the post, Quinn got her second when she headed home another McCabe dead-ball delivery.
McCabe’s hat-trick was complete on 75 when she tapped the ball into the net. Once again, it was Connolly with the assist.
Super sub Larkin made it eight with eight minutes remaining when she headed Jess Ziu’s cross past Gabunia.
O’Sullivan completed the rout in injury-time with a shot on the spin that slipped through the hands of poor Gabunia.
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