HAT-TRICK HERO KATIE McCabe and Player of the Match Megan Connolly may have stolen the spotlight as the Republic of Ireland beat Georgia 9-0 yesterday, but two special moments must be highlighted.
Abbie Larkin and Niamh Fahey both scored their first senior international goals, though at very different stages of their respective careers.
Liverpool captain and key defender Fahey found the back of the net 12 minutes into her 104th Ireland cap, the celebrations in Gori showing just how much it meant to the Galway native and her team-mates.
There were similar scenes when Shelbourne 17-year-old Larkin headed home in the 82nd minute, ensuring her fourth cap is one which will live long in the memory.
The teenager was singled out for praise on RTÉ after the final whistle, her second-half cameo a lively one as she continually threatened the Georgians and caught them out with her movement.
“She’s only 17-years-old, but I hope that everybody has seen how talented she is,” Ireland boss Vera Pauw told Tony O’Donoghue.
“She needs to go a long way, we take it easy, but it’s fantastic what she did today on the pitch and we had full confidence to take the decision to put her on.”
McCabe echoed her manager’s words, heaping praise on the youngster lighting it up at her former club as she looks to make a real Women’s National League breakthrough.
Abbie’s been brilliant since she’s come in. She’s learning a lot and really taking her opportunities when they come. I’m delighted for her to get her first goal, and I’m hoping she kicks on now.
“She’s a really young kid, so it’s important that she just keeps her head down, keeps learning and working hard, and I’m sure the rest of the goals will come her way.”
Reflecting on yesterday’s 9-0 win, skipper and Arsenal star McCabe added:
“We knew it was going to be tough coming over here, the weather conditions, it was quite humid but we stuck to the game plan and made sure we continued to play the way we wanted to play and ultimately get the three points, that’s what it was all about really.”
With Ireland in pole position for second place in Group A, attention now turns to September’s decisive double-header against Finland (at home) and Slovakia (away).
Larkin has certainly made a major case for her inclusion.
Following in the footsteps of the ever-reliable Fahey.
- updated 07.31.
Quickest reaction article I’ve ever seen!!!!
Professional as ever our Eamonn
Fair F**ks to you Dunphy.
You’re a lot more controversial than the other Dry holes in PravdaRTE and CommuiniCARP put together.
Live on air baby!!!
That’s show business baby!!
Top class! You’d never seen the likes of this in the UK! Brilliant entertainment, love them or hate them!
If you’re looking for entertainment, turn on E! News. When we tune in to watch pre match analysis, we should get analysis. The RTE panel are mortifying, and what’s even worse is the people who back it up saying ‘it’s better than the English channels’. This better be Dunphy, Giles and Brady’s last major tournament to ‘analyse’.
Name a better panel?
Are you for real Shane? Any panel is better. Do you genuinely think the RTE panel offer up any analysis? Any great input in to football? Sure they haven’t got a clue. Anyone thinking the RTE panel are any use (apart from to be laughed at) haven’t a clue about football themselves. I know a mate that works at RTE as a researcher and Dunphy and Giles are known only too well as lads who are briefed just before matches, they barely watch football. Gotta question ANYONE who thinks the RTE panel is any use….
Don’t forget, as licence payers – we are paying for our state broadcaster. And a nation of football lovers get this shite served up as football ‘punditry’. Please. If you think it is decent punditry you are just as clueless as they are.
Is this the johnny giles who played over 500 games in the premier league??Sure how would he know anything about football??
Whats Giles playing football in 1970 got to do with anaylising football in the 21st century? Did great football minds like Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho or Brendan Rodgers ever kick a ball? Moot point you are making. It’s clear to anyone with ears that this panel have been a joe for too long. People only tuning in to have a laugh, anyone tuning in for football analysis are just as as clueless as them.
…no John Giles did NOT play over 500 games in the PREMIER LEAGUE!
What a load of rubbish John, what about Ray Haughton? We still have a mark in ceiling from the celebrations when he scored in 94? Kenny Cunningham played over 70 times for Ireland and Ronnie Whelan over 300 times for Liverpool.It would appear that you my friend aren’t the football expert you think you are….
I watch rte’s coverage of the World Cup because there’s a bit of humour & craic to the panel, why do you need analysis if you’re watching the match?
BBC would bore the pants off ya & the less said about itv the better.
Jaysus Aoifs – if you are looking for a panel with football pasts, then turn on another channel – they’ve got thosands of caps of players who won world cups and got to major tournaments countless times. But that’s not the point! I don’t care how many caps anyone has – I want football analysis that makes sense. I want to be offered up something I don’t already know. Not this drivel from Dunphy who is such a bluffer it is so transparent. It’s mortifying punditry, absolute clowns It’s like watching an episode of The Muppets.
I love how Rodgers is in your list as greats haha
SHane – I watch analysis to see or hear things I might have missed, to get a better understanding of players I don’t know that much about. I certainly don’t get it off RTE. The BBC panel may not offer up as many laughs, but if it’s laughs you’re after, try the Comedy Channel. I’m after football analysis.
Yeah,Johnny Giles was a sh!t player ,wasn’t he,Mr Know Fu#k All about soccer armchair pundit?!
There is no right or wrong as to what makes a good football panel john, dunno why you are being so bloshy about your preference for a more analytical panel, I prefer the lighter hearted approach, as do a lot if people.
No – he was a great player. A super talent. But you’re missing the point. What has been a great player got to do with an ability to read the game and offer up analysis to normal joe soaps like me and you. Are you saying the better the player, the better the pundit? If you are, turn on BBC; they’ve got Theirry Henry, Leonardo, Clarence Seedorf and Alan Shearer on right now. Either way, you’re missing the point! I guess it probably proves the point that those who think Giles and Dunphy offer up good analysis are all thick!
For some strange reason I don’t like watching Thierry Henry,can’t think why. Sure who knew that Neymar was eeffin dreading the penalty before tonight If you wan’t to be entertained and find out things you don’t know about the players try the Daily Mail sidebar of shame, you can find all about the players wives and girlfriends which may entertain you and if you are lucky the players favourite colour. Call me crazy but I like watch a panel that I grew up idolising and who made me a very happy girl when I was growing up So I’ll stick with RTE and my Irish legends,
Shane – it is fine if you like the light-hearted approach and the ‘craic’. But there are loads of places to find a laugh on TV. WHen you tune in to a state broadcaster to provide some football insight ahead of a massive football match in a world cup, it would be nice if we had someone on the panel who knew about the players and managers involved. I am absolutely 100% certain that if you were to ask Eamon Dunphy right this minute what formation Mexico played in that half, he wouldn’t have a notion. I guess people who are in to their football want football anaylsis, those who really don’t care or don;t know that much about football would rather a bit of a laugh.
Aoifs – yet again, you are missing the bloody point!
John, who then has a great insight into 21st century football??
Jaysus john, i like that lighter approach on a football panel. you prefer more analysis, I’m not telling you to read a feckin coaching Manuel, just everyone has their own preference. Get over yerself.
John ,nice one ! Enjoy the match !
Besides didi & kenny have plenty of knowledge & insight, what panel is more insightful exactly?
Tom Jenkins; loads of people have a great insight in to 21st century football. Gary Neville always gives observations others wouldn’t have coped. Jamie Carragher does a great job too – both just out of modern dressing-rooms. I love listening to Gabriel Marcotti who is the best football analysist I’ve ever heard – yet never played the game. Eric Wynalda gives great insight, Grant Wahl is fantastic too.
John, I agree Gary Neville and Jamie carragher are both fantastic but unfortunately it would take big bucks to lure them from there contract with sky!!
I am baffled there are so many people who like the RTE panel. No wonder this country hasn’t a bleedin’ clue about football. Nation of barstoolers who do shite talk down the pub, all sounding like Dunphy. Enjoy the rest of the game boys and girls – make sure you make up your own minds about what went wrong and what went right, because you won;t get any help on RTE after the match.
And what made you a self-confessed expert?? Haha as if you have enough knowledge to judge!!!
DId I say I was an expert? I am looking for experts to give me knowledge i don;t have. A lot of people missing the point I am making. Once again, this is proof that people who actually like the RTE all have one thing in common – they are all thick!
As a fan of the RTE panel who was a masters, finished in the top 5 percent of her year in college I am suppose you could call me thick John. Imagine what I’d have if I wasn’t!….
John’s level of emotional investment in this is more entertaining than any panel could ever hope to be
You should probably read more then john , how about your start with Spot Goes to the Farm , then Runaway Bunny …
So if we don’t agree with you, we must be thick. Priceless internet discussion.
Well Aoifs, allI can say is…I guess English spelling and grammar wasn’t part of your Masters. (Bet you wish you could edit that comment; embarrassing). Anyway enjoy the second-half. Everyone;s entitled to their own opinion…But you won’t find anyone involved in the game who thinks Giles and Dunphy offer up a good insight. They are there to be laughed at, Ryle Nugent (Sports Editor of RTE) knows that only too well. He gets the audience of eejits – he knows that too…Nobody tunes in for football analysis. People just tune in for the laugh. I’ve heard that from the horses mouth.
Well I am so sorry that my dyslexia offends you John, and that I sometimes make grammatical errors. The only person here that should be embarrassed is you and your lack of knowledge about Irish football. Goodnight and goodluck
Quite a few grammar mistakes there too John.
You really are thick. We haven’t even mentioned football. There hasn’t been once discussion about football here, yet you say I have a lack of knowledge about the game. You’re having a nightmare love.
How about you ask to join the RTE panel john mitchell shur you know everything about soccer
Well John your thickness seems to know no bounds as all the football coverage in RTE is produce by Bill O Herlihy company so Nugent doesn’t have a say who’s on the panal .
Carino, it’s produced by O’Herlihy productions for RTE. Nugent gets final say on who produces the show, obviously O’Helihy, and who is hired and fired from the show. Don’t you know the difference between editor and producer? The production company work for the editor. What is with the lack of IQs around TheScore.ie?
Will y’all shut the f@ck up! My email is hopping with notifications, and not one of them makes any sense. Back to the game lads.
We tune in for a mixture of analysis & a laugh. You would prefer if they read from a coaching Manuel. Some if us prefer the analysis a bit lighter, we’re not all anoraks wearing soccer nerds, we just want a balance or entertainment & information. your intolerance of any opinion other then your own, and the many, many long posts you gave typed, during a match, are kinda amusing.
Why is it that you are incapable of understand that rte can’t just cherry pick the best broadcasters in the UK, realistically, and what they do offer stands up very well to the BBCs effort, and ITVs effort, both if whom operate on far bigger budget and both of which you are free to watch should you so choose, but this indignation at the license fee being wasted is just nonsense.
Troll somewhere else ya Bellend !!!!
He doesn’t actually cause I work for a certain TV station and I can tell you now that he doesn’t !!!’
You’ll be telling us you have trouble understanding ossie ardlies next!
A better panel would be 3 Dunphys
I got nothing else to say but I just want john to get more emails
Oh wait it Dave
You ‘know’ a ‘mate’ do you? Well done lad.
Get a life john
I would also like Dave to get more emails!
John I bet you’re great fun.
Saddlier has just one Irish cap and he’s the best of the Irish lot. Caps aren’t the point. Giles is borderline senile. Couldn’t name a player to save his life.
Give yourself a pat on the back for me
John makes some valid points, Johnny ‘if you don’t have the ball you can’t play, bill’ Giles is getting past it at this stage, although hamann I think is a good addition in recent times
WTF? Analysis? It’s football one of the simplest games on earth so don’t be so bloody precious with your analysis.
We can all see what’s happening.Giles, Brady and Dunphy at least have a bit of wit about them unlike the planks of wood on other channels and Après Match is a hoot!
Lighten up.
Alan Shearer is about as insightful as a bucket of shitty water..
Maybe you would prefer david moyes on it
“this better be dunphy,giles, and brady’s last tournament to analyse” hmmm wot about ronnie whelan???
That’s the Dunphy we all love. All we need now is for him to turn up drunk.
Turn up drunk the man is always drunk
Oh Eamonn.. Classic Dunphy, you gotta love the fella!
Face on bill was class and anyone else see hamann on his phone
Bill handled it well.
Dunphy did as well, in fairness. Hands up, straight away and get on with it.
In fairness he did look a bit shook. Neymar that is, not Dunphy!
Dunphy is a national treasure!
The panelists on RTE are the only reason why ive been watching the matches there. Giles should be in a home for the bewildered but otherwise they are a good and knowledgeable mix and by far more entertaining than BBC or ITV. Dunphy swearing was classic. I cant wait til half time to see what ( if anything ) they say about it. And Apres Match is brilliant!
We complain a lot about Irish TV, and rightfully usually, but you would never get the entertainment and fun on any other channel that you get on RTE during football matches. You never know what will happen!
Dunphy, you’ve jumped over the fence baby!
Billos reaction is probably the funniest moment of his career!
Leave the chap alone he is the only one that talks any sense. Tell that Kenny lad to f**k off. Clueless muppet
He looks like he’d been on the beer for lunch and had a steak sandwich “so I’m fine to go on air.”
John Mitchell must have surly won some sort of award. The most hated man on the score ever, most red thumbs ever! Something
A stone cold classic comedy TV moment. Eammon says f##k with such gusto.
Possibly the first time ever Eamon Dunphy has pulled a redner
The most exciting incident of the first half.
Après Match will had a field day with that one !
Hahaha. Anybody hear Dunphy’s apology???
How long to the Apres Match version! Didi Haman’s face is priceless!!!!!
JOHN F*CKING MITCHELL , 2900 red thumbs across 15 points over the space of two hours , an average of nearly 200 per point you made , even with all the lads you know in the rte and the fact you like Neville’s and carraghers analysis of matches who are at it since , what , August , you don’t reckon the Giles/dunphy partnership is any good , I think they’ve earned the right to be there , I doubt very much carra and Neville spend there time putting that footage together for ht analysis , how would you be able to watch a game otherwise , they’ve surely got a big background team in sky doing for them . England game the other night you would nearly swear they won the match the way they went on , at least the rte panel are honest and not biased … Bye the way John seeing as I’m one of those thick lads , did I spell 2900 correctly ???
Aul Ossie could be dropping in a few f-bombs and getting away with it!
He used the word f*** and half the thread went on about football analysis…some people need to lighten up.
A world class RTE production.
Maybe I m loyal.I like the panel.think ardilles and hamann are great and think ronnie is getting better all the time.it beats bbc
Last night lineker was asking rio about social media and how it lets fan see that ozil likes a massage after an international. Wtf is that all about.the english lads are a joke .at least the rte panel stick roughly to the footie
I have never seen any other production, outside of Ireland, ever using a swear word, live on air.
super seriously
Who pissed on John’s cornflakes?
Shearer, rio and Henry with little Phil on commentary put me asleep at the weekend. Rte are the best if you want entertainment. Best panel I remember was WC98 on itv. Bob wilson with ferguson, Keegan and venebles.
Anyone just seen the apology lol looked like he was bout to ball out crying
Few pints on him?
An honest mistake, coulda happened to a bishop.
I don’t think anyone tunes into RTE to get “expert” analysis. Personally, I love the comedy of Giles, Brady and Dunphy. Who dosen’t enjoy their spats about the Irish team and management? Most football lovers and supporters are more than capable of analysing a match without any “expert” help needed. We love them because they entertain us, annoy us, infuriate us, make us laugh. Sometimes, after watching a dire performance, we need something else to focus on! Oki Dok
The rte pundits can say what they want which is brilliant while BBC and itv pundits have to be very careful what they say for example their was very little criticism when England lost to Italy on BBC while rte pundits can be very honest and can stick the boot in.
I sent them a video of this very offended
Sarcasm
Great discussion. People start off slagging RTE, Dunphy, Giles etc. and end up slagging off each other.
SACK THE CLOWN
Why, what did you do?
Dunphy should be breathalised…he always come across as being pissed…
Get your old man to explain things to you, you come across as being lost.
Crass insults are annoying, aren’t they?
No but I spelt “by” wrong , better get in their first
It would be fun if it didn’t betray Dunphy’s complete lack of objectivity. He set his stall out months ago. He doesn’t rate Brazil and he simply dislikes Neymar for a perceived reputation that doesn’t exist. He’s not for turning as he was with Cristiano Ronaldo. It might be entertaining but there’s a lack of credibility
A real football journey man Dunphy. Thanks for the years of insight and entertainment. Looking forward to England reaching quarter finals.
LMFHO..Bill nearly shit the kacks..”pitch is a fu@kin bog” good man Eamo..
Joe brolley all the way lads :p
Dope
Joe brolley all the way :p
Clown! Time for some decent pundits. Keep Bill (despite retiring) but the others should go out to pasture. We should have had Jackie Charlton, Denis Irwin, Paul McGrath and Clinton Morrison doing the punditry in the past/by now.
BORING