Republic of Ireland forwards Callum Robinson and Mikey Johnston have backed under-pressure manager Stephen Kenny.
However, it was only a second win in seven Group B encounters, having lost the other five, and there have been calls for Kenny’s contract not to be renewed after this campaign.
“He [Kenny] has been great with me and with the boys,” Robinson told RTE.
“Some results haven’t been good enough, but sometimes the players have to take responsibility as well.
“He put me back in the squad when I haven’t played much club football. He trusts me and obviously I have repaid him by getting a goal.”
Cardiff City attacker Robinson came off the bench in Faro to head home the Republic’s fourth goal in a hugely one-sided game against a Gibraltar side ranked 198th in the world.
There was a long wait while the VAR checked for a possible offside against Robinson when Jamie McGrath’s cross was delivered, but the goal stood.
“I’m really happy. First of all to get the result because they haven’t gone our way,” he continued.
“Personally, I’m really happy to be back in the squad after a frustrating seven or eight months with injuries. There was a long wait for the VAR for my goal but I was delighted it was given.”
Scottish-born Celtic winger Johnston scored his second goal for Ireland on what was his first start for the country.
“It’s good. The fans deserved it. Friday was a tough result [a 2-0 loss at home to Greece] to take and we felt like we had to give them something back,” he said.
“I was buzzing to get going tonight, I needed to get on the scoresheet and I’m delighted I did.
“[We were] definitely [doing it for the manager] tonight. He cares so much, he puts everything into this and we definitely want to get behind him.
“Results have not gone our way all the time but we are trying to play the right way. It is not coming off at the moment but hopefully we can turn it around.”
Kenny avoids question about future as boss
Kenny’s current contract with the Football Association of Ireland ends when this campaign is over, with a friendly against New Zealand coming after their final qualifier away to the Netherlands next month.
Monday’s dead-rubber win in Faro was only the Dubliner’s sixth victory in 27 competitive games and followed the hugely-disappointing defeat by the Greeks in Dublin on Friday.
Kenny would not be drawn on his future, choosing instead to talk about the matches themselves when asked if he expects the Netherlands game to be his last as Republic boss.
“Well we have New Zealand after that,” he said.
“I think from my point of view, the games against France and Holland at home, they have been really good games and we were narrowly beaten in both.
“We have got to go to Holland, obviously they need to win to qualify and they are a top-six team in the world but from our point of view we have got to get organised, go there and put in a performance that gives ourselves a chance at getting a result.”
There is still a remote chance that the Republic could be handed a Euro 2024 play-off spot, but that depends on results in a series of other games.
“At the moment I’m not sure of the exact permutations, it obviously depends on other results,” Kenny said.
“It’s still more unlikely than likely and I think regardless we have to go to Amsterdam and try and get a win if we can.”
