Ireland chase four-goal win in group decider at Páirc Uí Chaoimh

The 42

2 days ago

IRELAND RETURN TO Páirc Uí Chaoimh with much more on the line than their first visit to the Cork GAA venue last summer.
Already relegated and consigned to the Euro 2025 play-offs, Eileen Gleeson's side stunned France to secure a famous 3-1 win in their final group game. They did copper-fasten a seeded place, however.
Now back in League B and under the watch of Carla Ward, Ireland face Slovenia in their Nations League Group B2 decider.
A revenge mission awaits — along with a big ask as they chase top spot and promotion to League A.
Confusion has reigned in recent days, with the FAI even sharing differing permutations.
Bottom line: Ireland need to win by FOUR clear goals to finish top of the group and clinch automatic promotion.
If they do not triumph by that margin, draw, or lose, the Girls In Green will contest promotion/relegation play-offs in October as a League B runner-up. The draw for those two-legged ties against a third-place League A side (currently Austria, Iceland, Portugal and Italy) takes place on Friday.
The four-goal win is a tall order, but Ward has long shared her intention to 'go for it' in Cork.
Ireland have been in Slovenia's rear-view mirror since a 4-0 humbling in February: as the picture became clearer, Ward said she would 'be glad to go out front foot, gung-ho' in the rematch against Saša Kolman's coming side, who have conceded just one goal.
'We know what we have to do,' the English coach insisted yesterday. 'We're going to have to be aggressive but also secure at the same time.'
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Slovenia's Nina Kajzba and Ireland's Katie McCabe in Koper in February. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland's goalscoring struggles have been well documented, and herein lies another major issue. Defensive woes have been rife through this campaign, with cheap goals and chances coughed up, many of them on the counter. Slovenia were electric on the break in Koper, as they inflicted upon Ireland their heaviest defeat since 2018 and worst competitive loss in over 12 years.
In Friday's unconvincing 2-1 comeback win, Türkiye scored on the transition and exposed them on several occasions.
Of Ireland's goals in Istanbul, the Turks scored one and assisted the other. Megan Campbell's long-throw caused havoc to get the visitors back on level terms, before Emily Murphy pounced on a butchered, mid-slip clearance to bag the 89th-minute winner.
Ward has made no secret of her possession-based, expansive plans, but Ireland reaped the rewards of a more direct approach as they chased the game on Friday. Substitutions were key too, as Murphy, Kyra Carusa and Saoirse Noonan arrived on the hour-mark, and Campbell's introduction released Katie McCabe on the left.
'You saw us finish with a lot of attacking players on the pitch, you might see that's the way we start,' said Ward post-match.
Amber Barrett had a mixed night leading the line; first-choice Carusa could do so from the off here. Lucy Quinn, a constant in the front three under Ward, is doubtful with a bug so openings could arise: Murphy will hope her decisive, first international goal earns her a rare start; Abbie Larkin and Cork's own Noonan also showed glimpses on Friday; while new call-up Erin Healy could be a wildcard.
(Noonan may etch her name into history as the first person to play an inter-county Gaelic football match and a soccer international at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.)
Hometown hero Denise O'Sullivan is the one definite in midfield. She was far from her best against Türkiye, but is the beating heart of this Irish team. Marissa Sheva struggled beside her on that occasion, and could drop out, while another Rebel Megan Connolly impressed in the holding role. Ruesha Littlejohn will be eyeing that spot, and her 90th cap; Tyler Toland is another midfield option.
Courtney Brosnan needs little introduction as the undisputed number one, but there are question marks in defence. Aoife Mannion is another doubt due to playing overload and a quad knock, but the hope is she will pass a late fitness test. Ireland are lacking in natural right-backs, but the Manchester United defender has been performing well there. Anna Patten struggled while deputising in the second half against Türkiye.
Patten has been the one invariable in the centre-back pairing under Ward. Jessie Stapleton has joined her recently, while Caitlin Hayes got the nod from the bench on Friday after falling down the pecking order. The retiring Louise Quinn will want to see meaningful action, and would be another welcome aerial threat.
Louise Quinn during her final training session at The Páirc yesterday. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Katie McCabe as a de facto 10 was among the many experiments which backfired against Slovenia in February, the captain generally stationed at left-back since. The Champions League winner is most likely to continue there, initially anyway, but Ward could want Campbell — injury-plagued and managed — on from the off.
Wherever she operates, McCabe will need to make her impact felt: the Arsenal star has a wicked delivery, while she is one goal away from her 30th in green.
One of her quotes yesterday spoke volumes:
'If we don't score the first one you can forget about the fourth.'
Slow starts have been another hallmark of this campaign, and Ireland need to race out of the traps if they are to give themselves any chance of hammering this rising Slovenian outfit.
Manager Kolman — who cites Jim McGuinness as an inspiration — hailed a resounding tactical victory in Koper, and he will come to Cork with another plan. Lara Praanikar of Eintracht Frankfurt, two-goal hero last time, will be central to that, while Kaja Korosec (Paris FC), Zara Kramzar (Roma) and Kaja Erzen (Fiorentina) are other key players with Champions League experience.
12 world rankings inferior in 38th, the Balkan nation will be targetting another scalp, happy for the pressure to be on Ireland.
But the hosts will look to embrace it, and every bit of noise and colour in Cork.
A smaller crowd of 10,000 is expected at the Páirc, but Ireland will be hoping for another memorable occasion.
A four-goal win may be too big of an ask, but any victory and a positive performance would be a good night's work, as the first chapter of this new era draws to a close.