1. Katie McCabe leads the way
The Ireland captain finished with two goals and two assists in last night’s 6-0 Euro 2025 play-off first leg rout of Georgia.
It was the perfect way to mark her 90th cap, her international goal tally rising to 28 in Tbilisi. Abbie Larkin won Player of the Match after an impressive performance, but they easily could have shared the spoils.
Previously in 2024, McCabe hadn’t been at her best in the green jersey, but she well and truly rediscovered her international form here.
Georgia must be sick of the sight of the Arsenal star, who now has seven goals in three games against the minnows.
McCabe started at left-wing back on this occasion, but was effectively a winger. She was afforded further freedom in the second half, switching with Julie-Ann Russell to a more central attacking position.
Having broken the deadlock with a cool penalty to send Ireland on their way, McCabe’s second-half screamer made it 3-0 and the floodgates opened thereafter. Her vision to spot the goalkeeper off her line, and conviction to execute the effort, was splendid.
She added two assists, with excellent deliveries to Jessie Stapleton and Aoife Mannion respectively for both of their first international goals, and was unlucky not to bag a hat-trick herself.
2. Ireland grind down Georgia
The first half was frustrating for Ireland. They sit 94 places above Georgia in the Fifa World Rankings and beat them 11-0 and 9-0 in 2023 World Cup qualifying, but the goals weren’t exactly flowing here.
Eileen Gleeson’s side were held until McCabe’s penalty in the 36th minute. Georgia sat deep and compact, and while Ireland created chances, they wouldn’t find an early breakthrough.
“I wasn’t getting concerned,” Gleeson said afterwards. We would have liked an early goal, of course, but you just have to be patient in these games and you have to trust that it will come.
“I think with these games you can expect a level of frustration. You know you’re going to play against a low block with everybody behind the ball. We would have liked a bit of a quicker speed of play from ourselves, some more balls into the box. I think we kept possession across the backline a bit too much and we wanted those balls to go forward.”
The message at half time was to up the tempo, and Ireland did that. By the final whistle, Kyra Carusa, McCabe, Jessie Stapleton, Marissa Sheva and Aoife Mannion had all found the back of the net in a variety of different ways.
The tactical swap between McCabe and Russell paid dividends — the former linking play centrally and the latter prominent out wide — with the bench impact also key as the Girls In Green ground down Georgia.
3. Opportunities taken
Abbie Larkin was a big winner, making her first international start this year and finishing as Player of the Match.
Deployed at right-wing back, she was a bright spark — and a thorn in Georgia’s side — throughout. Her cross led to the penalty as Georgia’s Natia Denelia blatantly handled the ball, and she later assisted Carusa.
Marissa Sheva was another to take her chance, capping her first appearance since the 2023 World Cup with her maiden international goal. She was Gleeson’s first substitute in the 56th minute, and repaid her manager’s faith with a lively, and improved, cameo.
“Both of them had very good games,” said Gleeson. “I thought Abbie was our best outlet in the first half and she was very good again in the second half, some great combination play, one-v-ones, good crosses into the box.
“Marissa came on and had a great impact on the game, found lovely little positions in the midfield and obviously a great goal to go with it. It is a good opportunity for us to see those players and I was encouraged with what I saw tonight.”
4. Changing of the guard in defence
Caitlin Hayes, Anna Patten and Aoife Mannion as the three centre-backs represented a real shift for Ireland. This changing of the guard has been in motion for some time now, but this was the first time in years that none of Louise Quinn, Diane Caldwell or Niamh Fahey featured.
Quinn was ruled out of this double-header with a hip injury, Caldwell didn’t tog out because of back spasms, and Niamh Fahey was held in reserve on the bench.
Much has been made of Ireland’s ‘ageing backline’. Fahey recently turned 37, Caldwell 36 and Quinn is 34. All centurions, they have been key figures for Ireland through the years, but Mannion (29), Hayes (29) and Patten (25) have all impressed since declaring for the Girls In Green.
Quinn’s absence may have been a hammer blow years ago, but the defensive depth chart meant it wasn’t a major headache and it was striking to see Hayes, Patten and Mannion as a trio.
“When I was initially coming in, there was huge concern around the centre-half position and ironically, we could have had seven centre-halves for this game,” Gleeson told The 42.
“It is really positive – we’ve got Anna, Caitlin, Aoife Mannion, Jessie Stapleton… of course Fahey and Diane are still involved. Megan Connolly who can play as central defender, Megan Campbell. We have great depth there now, and a good mix of experience and youth.”
5. No relaxing for return leg
With the play-off put to bed at the halfway point, Ireland will see it out at Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday night [KO 7.30pm, live on RTÉ 2].
Then it’s onto another two-legged shootout against Slovakia or Wales for a golden ticket to their first European Championships. (Slovakia are in pole position to progress after their surprise 2-1 win last night).
Gleeson and co. will keep only Georgia on their mind, but their unassailable lead means there will be room for rotation and experimenting next week.
“I don’t think we’ll relax,” the head coach insisted.
“We’ll aim to definitely not be complacent and make sure we do a good job on Tuesday, but it opens up opportunities for some of the younger players that we’ve brought in to maybe get them some minutes.”
“It’s definitely not over one bit,” Abbie Larkin added. “Georgia are going to come at us when we get home and we need to be ready for that, hopefully get a few goals on the scoresheet.”
