Republic of Ireland 9
Georgia 0
A WIN WAS expected, but the message was to temper expectations.
“People should not expect the same situation from when we played Georgia last year,” Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw said pre-match, referencing the record-breaking 11-0 hammering in Tallaght Stadium.
It wasn’t quite eleven, but nine will most certainly do as they equalled the team’s record away win. Goals from Katie McCabe (three), Louise Quinn (two), Megan Connolly, Niamh Fahey, Abbie Larkin and Denise O’Sullivan ensure the World Cup dream is more alive than ever with two games to go in Group A.
Today’s result against the minnows sees Ireland leapfrog play-off rivals Finland into second place ahead of September’s decisive double-header against the Finns and Slovakia. Happily in pole position as the bid to reach a first-ever major tournament roars on.
This rescheduled qualifier was in Gori, and posed a slightly different challenge for the Girls In Green with players out-of-season, the hosts strengthened by the return of key players that missed out last time due to Covid-19, and hot conditions to be contended with.
Pauw’s squad spent a successful 10-day training camp in Turkey acclimatising, but it wasn’t just as sweltering as expected — 18 degrees at 8pm local time. The poor condition of the pitch may have been more of a factor.
All of that considered, Georgia are rock-bottom of the group, with 41 goals conceded and zero scored in six defeats before today. They’re 124th in Fifa’s world rankings, while Ireland recently moved to a record-equalling high of 27th.
Highly-sought after at club level and set for a move this summer, Amber Barrett was handed a big opportunity to lead the line as Pauw set out an expected attacking XI.
Established number one Courtney Brosnan started in goal, as expected. Diane Caldwell returned to the defence alongside Quinn and Fahey as Ireland lined out in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Heather Payne reverting to right wing-back and West Ham-bound Jess Ziu further up that flank.
McCabe owned the left, expertly linking up with O’Sullivan, as Ruesha Littlejohn and Player of the Match Connolly set up camp in the middle. (Jamie Finn — due to her yellow card tally, as Pauw confirmed — Stephanie Roche, Jessie Stapleton and Naoisha McAloon were the omissions from the match day squad.)
From the off at Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, Ireland assumed control. O’Sullivan was lively as they settled in and looked to press Georgia’s defensive low block. They brilliantly unlocked it for the perfect start in the sixth minute; O’Sullivan finding McCabe in space after a well-worked team move, and the Arsenal star rifling into the roof of Tatia Gabunianet’s net.
Just the start we wanted!
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 27, 2022
Katie McCabe hammers home the opener after good work from Niamh Fahey, Heather Payne and Denise O'Sullivan #rtesoccer
📱Updates - https://t.co/HgrLURWhjJ
📺Watch - https://t.co/CfnEhdAQdE
📻 Radio - https://t.co/JDLto3wUVJ pic.twitter.com/QMyrrr9v2W
That set the tone as the frustrated Georgians got physical.
Fahey’s first international goal came in the 12th minute of her 104th senior cap. The Liverpool captain poked home at the front post, getting on the end of Connolly’s lofty corner from the left.
By the 18th minute, it was three. This time a pin-point McCabe corner from the left was turned in at the back post by Connolly.
Ireland heaped on the pressure, the green wave relentless. They toyed with their opponents, pulling and dragging them around the pitch, good in possession for the most part.
When the Georgians weren’t desperately defending, they were poor in attack. Lela Chichinadze, who was previously booked for a tackle on Ziu, and Ana Cheminava had two very tame efforts, as they resorted to hitting and hoping. At the other end, O’Sullivan and McCabe weren’t just as clinical as Ireland experienced a bit of a lull, sloppy at times.
The tempo slowed down, and the visitors struggled to create for a period. Until McCabe let fly from distance, and Gabunianet’s fingertips combined with the crossbar to deny her. The Georgian stopper produced a string of fine saves thereafter, her fist keeping Ireland at bay.
After a failed O’Sullivan penalty shout, the half was rounded off on a scoreline of 4-0 — the same as November in Tallaght. Ireland’s 10th corner of the game saw Connolly find an unmarked McCabe on the edge of the box, and the skipper lobbed home accordingly.
Ireland returned with more intensity, back in the driving seat after the half-time reset. Quinn made it five in the 49th minute; the Birmingham captain getting on the end of a beautiful delivery from Connolly with a trademark, powerful header.
Other moments of note early in the second half were Payne seeing yellow for a crunching challenge on Natia Danelia and Gabunianet twice keeping O’Sullivan, and then Connolly and Barrett, out.
Shortly after the hour-mark, Pauw rung the changes. A triple substitution saw Lily Agg, Lucy Quinn and 17-year-old Abbie Larkin introduced — and Agg, who sparkled with a goalscoring debut last week, almost repeated the trick but a goal with her opening touches was ruled out due to an accidental handball.
In the 69th minute, Brosnan was called upon for her first real save of the day. Cheminava had a go from distance, and the Everton ‘keeper derailed it from the top corner. Georgia looked to frustrate their visitors more and more down the home straight, resorting to damage limitation.
They couldn’t keep out another Quinn header though, as she connected with a well-flighted, long-range McCabe free-kick in the 73rd minute. Or McCabe’s hat-trick offering two minutes later, as she brilliantly tapped in another stunning Connolly delivery.
The variation of goals was encouraging to see as was Ireland’s ability to dictate the game better in the second half. Their sheer dominance and ruthlessness really shone through as the clock ran down.
After going close earlier, Larkin grabbed her first international goal in the 82nd minute. The impressive Shelbourne teenager headed home after a sweeping team move, where former club mate Ziu flicked on a Caldwell cross.
And O’Sullivan deservedly got her name on the score-sheet with a well-taken finish in injury time, rounding off a professional, workmanlike performance.
Job done, and done well. Onto September.
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Niamh Fahey, Louise Quinn, Diane Caldwell; Heather Payne (Lucy Quinn, 62), Ruesha Littlejohn (Lily Agg, 62), Megan Connolly, Katie McCabe; Jessica Ziu, Denise O’Sullivan; Amber Barrett (Abbie Larkin, 62).
GEORGIA: Tatia Gabunia; Nino Chkhartishvili, Tamar Kvelidze, Mariam Kalandadze, Natia Danelia; Teona Bakradze (Irina Khaburdzania, HT, Ia Alelishvili, 90 inj.), Nino Pasikashvili; Mariam Danelia (Nino Gujabidze, 62), Khatia Tchkonia, Lela Chinchinadze (Megi Gotsiridze, 83); Ana Cheminava.
Cue derogatory comment from Paula Brennan about alcoholics and lost sovereignty.
I just got goosebumps!
Me too
Me too. The team let us down our fans won millions of hearts around the world. If respect was a sport we would be world champions.
I got a horn!
15000 irish men and women paid alot of money to go over to poland and support the boys in green bloody sure there going to sing there hearts out the team gave them nothing back…!!its alot better to see than the polish and russians kicking lumps out of each other
I was literally about to post the same comment. these people have obviously spent a lot of money. Football is not a life and death matter. it is played for the fans and for enjoyment.
This video is going viral at the moment. Heard the French and German broadcasts stayed silent while the fans sung. See the country ain’t all bad, we got the best foundations and thats us. This will have a welcome boost to tourism.
indeed derek, we’re more than just a bleedin’ economy.
Fair play to the fans. But this country needs a lift and it should be the team doing it! Roy Keane is right, the team didn’t try hard enough. The team should have the same pride and resolve and drive as the fans. Well done the fans though!
Clearly a footballing genius.
You are complaining that Ireland didn’t win the formula 1 race in spite of only having a tractor to race with. And the driver is to blame because he didn’t hold the steering wheel tightly enough.
The answer here is to send the 30,000 Irish fans to next years Eurovision. Certain to win.
I would be singing go home you useless shites
Why don’t u shut ur mouth
Thomas McGrory
Will I tell you a story?
About Thomas McGrory
Will I begin it?
That’s all is in it :) :) :)
I suppose it would be better to rip up the stadium and the streets of Gdansk? Oh yeah and cause riots? And have the worlds media see us as sore losers and thugs? I for one was extremely proud of the fans who represented our country so magnificently even if the team wasn’t up to much so shut the hell up you and all the other muppets with your negative shite. Those fans did us proud.
Yea cop on people your not there to support yourselves, its suppose to be about the supporting the team and they don’t deserve that at the moment. Singing is great but not when you have been trashed 4-0 , theres a time and a place for that I’d love to see those people and more singing like that outside the Dail and other Goverment buildings.
Our supporters are out there proudly representing their country and they’re doing a fantastic job.
Its not right for you to belittle those who are keeping their chin up!
Why don’t you go sing outside the Dail instead of others to do it… Plastic fan
you’d do better?
its all endas fault!!
sing when you’re losing…. sums up the people of Ireland. enjoying being lashed for the last 1000 years. but we love to get drunk. what a wonderful cultural trait.
@Condon. I bet u are a plastic fan.. Support the team when there winning but when the loose get on there back
I’d say you’d be great craic in the pub
Plastic fan? I doubt it. People like him are fans of nothing but their own misery. They spend their lives wallowing in a pool of their own begrudgery and trying to drag others down. Everyone loves to get drunk now and again David and some people react very badly with drink others are a credit. Either way I didn’t see to many drunks in the crowd singing for Ireland last night. Maybe we should ship out a load of people like you for the Italy match. Instead of uplifting signing echoing around the stadium it’ll be a high pitched drone of 30,000 moaners
@condon – and we’ve obviously got our share of shitehawks and you’re a testament to that. Well done, you.
Not everybody in Ireland is a drinker..I for one am not..And I took great pride in OUR country for not being sore loosers.. COYBIG….
It might serve you better to enjoy a drink once in a while Mr. Condom
Irish Lose and are humiliated: get drunk, sing and celebrate
Irish declared bankrupt: Get drunk and celebrate
Little simple minded obedient slaves to everyone, even in sport
Bloody clowns, so embarrassing.
You forgot to mention the sovereignty bit Paula!
If the object of sport is to lift our spirits then us Irish are world champions. This performance by the Irish fans is right up there with the silence that roared around Croke park when God save the queen was played before the English rugby game. I am deeply proud to be Irish and I truly believe we are an amazing race of people with unbeatable spirits. The meaning of one of our favouritism anthems ‘you’ll never beat the Irish’ was never better defined than last night. If people outside our little shores didn’t understand what we meant, surely they can have no doubt about its meaning now. You’ll never beat the Irish.
dutch fans booed their own team off the pitch when 1-0 down to germany the other nite,our fans sang to the death when 4-0 down…best in the world
No-one will ever stop the irish from having a good time, win or lose. The Irish invented partying, and not all the miserable begrudging cork whingers like roy ‘attention-junkie’ keane will stop that. well done the fans. a credit to the team and the nation.
You’ll never beat the Irish ….. At singing anyway ,well done to the supporters ,you all stood up and the world took notice of how good our fans are.
You are the one who’s deluded. Football is sport. SPORT! which should be enjoyed win loose or draw. The whole world is complementing IRELAND fans on their sporting behaviour. Lighten up mate, There’s a happy world outside
Losers!
If your going to troll, try to at least say something witty and with a spark of intelligence.
If you’re going make an assertion about someone’s intelligence, try to use proper grammar. It’s ‘you’re’, not ‘your’. You did make me laugh though so full marks for wit.
Sorry your attempt at being pedantic failed. Majority rule by red thumb – your an idiot.
I hope it’s a long time before I sing that famine song again.
I think the lyrics “you’ll never beat the irish” are meant to show you’ll never kill our spirit, not meant literally. This gave me goosebumps last night and made me proud. All the thumbs down for the positive comments about this story show who the real plastic paddy’s are! #COYBIG
I wonder what quotient of thejournal commenters fall under the category of “moody bollix”.
High methinks.. conflict is easier on a keypad than in real life, and bless ‘em they need something, don’t they?
I think there should be a civic reception for the fans when they come home.
That was just awesome. Fields of Athenry made most Polish press and Internet news and now people know what this song is all about everyone is extremely positive about Irish and people say you showed so much proud and dignity thousands of respectful comments in Internet towards you fair play. Also don’t know if anybody noticed but Irish fans sang during game “Polska Bia?o Czerwoni.” That means in polish “Poland white and red” – standard polish fans song. That’s class – thank you :-)
For the love of god all the Irish fans are completely deluded! We just looked liked a bunch of muppets singing a song for a utter shite team! That Irish team should have been booed of the pitch! The fans need to swallow their pride and cop on, once again the focus is on how great the fans are and not on how shit ireland was. Euro 2012 is about football not how feckin good fans are!
WOW…. . Its about football not good fans… brilliantly said.
So we should have got booed off because the best national team to play the game EVER beat us… Some people haven’t a clue.
Support the effort the players put in you tit. It might not be great but that’s the best the players can do. We are not world beaters.
Every single country in world would be sad that there team lost in any match. they would trumble out of the grounds of any sporting arena and would be down heartened. They would not be able to muster up the emotion of joy to sing and party. The Irish mentality on the other hand is to party and sing and carry on as if nothing has happened. W e lost, who cares, we hand over country to the Europe bigwigs, who cares, we pay the Banks debt, who cares. We’re Irish lets drink and sing. We know what it is like to lose but we dont care we’re Irish. Lets party.
You’ll never beat the Irish..!!!! What are you talking about..?!?!?!!? Irish Delusion holds no bounds.
Couldn’t have said it better myself David!
They were singing a ballad not some party song,it sounded downhearted to me and all the interviews i seen with the fans after the match were far from delusional.
really? I love the people saying the fans are an embarrassment. we are so embarrassing that people in Spain, France, Italy and Poland, among others, have been praising the Irish supporters. get off your high horse, it’s a game.
Well said David !
I’d rather be singing drunks when losing than be rowdy ones
Paula Brennan is a cnut
Irish fans are amazing… Head high always, thats what I so admire about Ireland and love it for <3
The other video that was @ 100,000 hits on youtube was taken down. Pity. Here’s a link to the only copy I can find still available on the Internet . http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/euro-2012/irish-news/roy-keane-blasts-team-and-says-songs-not-enough-3139353.html
We are a sad bunch alright. Celebrating hard luck and good effort is ok but celebrating mediocrity and failure like we did last night with that singing confirms it for me.
Who was celebrating? It was a lament. And a much more creative response to being beaten than just walking away crestfallen. At least international fans and media were impressed, even if some Irish people on this forum don’t understand their own race enough to see the beauty of what happened last night.
World’s Media… ahhhhhhhhh look at the Irish supporters singing together..! Why are they singing so heartily, did they win something.??>!? No Hans they lost and they were 1st to be knocked out of the tournament.. mmmh ok so why are they singing>? ehhhm because the Irish like to drink n partty n have good time… ok.
Right lets invade that country they seem really thick.
Or maybe they are singing to show their support for their team. Did ya ever think of that.
Ray whats your excuse for Croatia? Your the one who doesn’t have a clue, making excuses for a team like that, go away look at the goals we conceded and our defense and then come back to me! Even trap was critical of his players. Jump of the bandwagon!
So what 30 thousand more Irish fans spent shitloads of money to travel to poland and ukraine to sing the best rendition of the fields of athenry? Bullshit they went to see their country play football which Ireland didn’t do, yea I agree the fans are amazing but for gods sake that team didn’t deserve that response, let’s just praise them for being an embarrassment in the euros.
Croatia are 7th in the world. They are way better than us. We are just an average team who hope to do well. If my child or ur child grow up to be average at something does that mean we should boo them.
To all Irishmen, especially those, which have provided this absolutely wonderful moment at the end of the match.
If you like to really enjoy this moment again without any comment of a moderator, have a look here:
http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/hauptnavigation/startseite#/beitrag/video/1664644/Sangesfreudige-Iren-zum-Genie%C3%9Fen
This is the best recording, which I have found in the net.
Many, many, many thanks to all the irish fans.
With honor and respect
best regards from germany
Gerhard and Jutta Weyers
You can’t argue a point with an idiot!!! Nuff said
That’s my bloody point ray FFS lol support of what???????
Wow. It’s awesome!