Saoirse Noonan scores winner but Ireland miss out on Nations League promotion despite victory over Slovenia in Cork
LOCAL HERO Saoirse Noonan scored a historic winner — but Ireland could not turn utter dominance into the goals they needed as they fell well short of the four-plus victory required for Nations League promotion.
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Saoirse Noonan scored as Ireland beat Slovenia
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
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Slovenia were promoted to League A while Ireland settle for an October play-off
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The ex-Rebels star's headed goal came from an early Jessie Stapleton cross as
It maintained their winning
record
at the home of
Ireland will now face a third-placed team from League A in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off in October.
Win the play-off and Ireland would also gain a guaranteed play-off spot for the 2027
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But a yellow card for Anna Patten in a late sideline bust-up with Kaja Erzen will see her suspended for the first leg.
Tuesday night's game also provided a tearful send-off for retiring Louise Quinn, who came on late for her 122nd cap in her
Carla Ward made four changes from the
Alongside Noonan, Istanbul match-winner Emily Murphy came into the midfield and put in a standout performance. Kyra Carusa and Caitlin Hayes were also called upon.
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The
Starting against a strong wind, Ireland were determined to lay down a marker and poured down the flanks to force three corners inside five minutes. They won the headers from all three deliveries, too.
'You can't make this up' - Irish fans in stitches at Ruesha Littlejohn's playful prank upon Katie McCabe's camp arrival
Noonan came closest but
Zara
Kramzar took her header off the line. Patten could not do any better with her two efforts.
Abbie Larkin switched to the left flank for this game and she dribbled past two defenders for the
next
chance but Zala Mersnik gobbled up her edge-of-the-box
strike
.
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The overlapping
Murphy retrieved the second ball and rolled it back for Stapleton, whose deep cross was perfectly weighted for Noonan to redirect over the keeper, with the former
star
wheeling away to celebrate her second international goal with her home-town fans.
Carusa scuffed a couple of chances wide in the aftermath, Murphy fired a shot into Mersnik's arms and another Corkonian, Megan Connolly, saw a drilled attempt blocked by Sara Agrez, with Patten unable to turn the ricocheting ball goalward.
A frustrated Kolman was booked but his side did carve out one major opening before half-time. However, Courtney Brosnan beat away Lara Prasnikar's stinging shot.
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Kolman detailed his players to get closer to Ireland around the middle as they began to contain the hosts in the second half, while Brosnan had to make a routine save from Maja Sternad.
At the other end, Stapleton and Patten went for the same ball to spoil one chance. Then Connolly fired over from the 18-yard line.
Murphy drove just over the bar from a tight angle before another good cross followed from Connolly's free-kick. However, Hayes glanced her header off
target
.
Then Murphy got in around the side again to shoot, only for Mersnik to parry around the post.
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Mersnik also had to deal with a couple of Megan Campbell throw-in missiles but she did so successfully as hopes of Ireland adding three further goals faded away.
SUN STAR PLAYER
Emily Murphy (Ireland)
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IRELAND
: Brosnan 7; Stapleton 7 (Campbell 62, 6), Patten 7, Hayes 7, McCabe 7; Larkin 7 (Louise Quinn 80, 6), O'Sullivan 7, Connolly 7, Carusa 7 (Sheva 80, 6), Murphy 8; Noonan 8 (Barrett 62, 6).
SLOVENIA
: Mersnik 7; Conc 6, Golob 6, Agrez 7; Kolbl 7, Makovec 6, Korosec 7, Prasnikar 7 (Janez 90, 6), Erzen 6; Sternad 6 (Kajzba 68, 6), Kramzar 6 (Zver 87, 6).
REFEREE
: M Bockova (Slovakia) 6.
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