Ireland 'need to be miles better' as Ward and McCabe target Slovenia shootout in Cork
HEAD COACH CARLA Ward and captain Katie McCabe say Ireland need to be 'miles better' than tonight's last-gasp rescue win in Türkiye.
Emily Murphy bagged the winner in the 89th minute, sparing Irish blushes after another disappointing performance against lower-ranked opposition.
But the 2-1 comeback victory kept them in the race for Nations League promotion: Slovenia remain top of Group B2 ahead of a Páirc Uí Chaoimh shootout next Tuesday, where Ireland must win by more than four goals to usurp them and return to League B. The runners-up get another shot in the play-offs in October.
'Listen, that's character. That's an Irish mentality,' Ward told RTÉ's Tony O'Donoghue after tonight's game.
'It was never rolling over, even when we went 1-0 down. We're disappointed with the goal. The reaction after that, the togetherness, the attitude to go and win tackles, close gaps, making sure that we were front-footed, was something that we can be proud of. I actually think winning it like that, at the death, puts us in a good position for Tuesday.'
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Carla Ward praised the "character" and "Irish mentality" of her team after they came from behind to win in Turkey but admitted Ireland will need to be a lot better against group leaders Slovenia#UWNL #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/09zFRPNjoM — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 30, 2025
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The former Aston Villa boss said there will be 'honest conversations about how we start bright' as she outlined some improvements required.
'We need to be better. We need to be way better come Tuesday, but most important thing is we got the three points tonight.
'We have to win 5-0 [against Slovenia], right? It's not easy against any team now because women's football is improving in every country. It's going to be tough, but we'll go out there with an attitude, a mindset and belief that anything is possible. The Irish love that, I love that, it's why I took the job.'
'You saw us finish with a lot of attacking players on the pitch, you might see that's the way we start. We certainly will give it absolutely everything,' she added, calling for 'every bit of Irish noise and blood' in Cork.
McCabe, meanwhile, echoed her manager's sentiments as she finished a whirlwind week, in which she won the Champions League with Arsenal, with the Player of the Match award in Istanbul.
'We got the result and that's what matters in the end, but from a performance point of view, we have to be miles better going into Tuesday,' the skipper said.
'We didn't move the ball quick enough, we didn't move Türkiye quick enough, and allowed them to get in the game with some sloppy mistakes. We need a massive improvement if we're going to beat Slovenia on Tuesday.'
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Ireland captain Katie McCabe: "We got the result and that's what matters in the end but from a performance point of view we have to be miles better going into Tuesday"#UWNL pic.twitter.com/aZ7oNa3qrt — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 30, 2025
McCabe shared her disappointment with the 'cheap' concession early in the second half, and paid tribute to the impact substitutes, including match-winner Murphy, as Ireland laboured to four wins from five under Ward.
'We're trying to do a lot of different things in terms of how we approach games more on the front foot. That takes time. This is our fifth game under Carla and the new management, it's not going to be perfect, but for us from a standards point of view, we have to look to come out of the tracks a little bit sharper.'
Putting four goals past Slovenia will be a 'tough ask,' McCabe conceded, but she believes Ireland can do it 'if we're at our absolute best'.
The Dubliner also reflected on her European club success, and insists she feels 'really good' after a physically and emotionally draining few days — and season overall.
'It was a massive result for us and the club last week in Lisbon, we were absolutely ecstatic becoming champions.
'Yeah, you enjoy the celebrations, but it was full focus on these two games. I said to Carla when I came in, 'I'm ready to play and give it all for the team.' I feel good going into Tuesday now, another big performance, rest and recover.'
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