AN EXTREMELY CONVOLUTED World Cup play-off path lies ahead, but this evening’s task was straightforward: win, and shorten it slightly.
Three points in Senec secures a first-round bye for Ireland, and ensures the Girls In Green finish their Group A campaign on a high: a case of job done and mission accomplished, a fifth win to add to two draws and one defeat.
It was far from their finest 90 minutes, but Denise O’Sullivan’s 36th minute goal was the difference, and hands Vera Pauw’s side a bye in the first round of the play-offs. The draw is set for Friday afternoon; what could effectively be a home or away final ahead in Round Two.
The official attendance at a balmy NTC Senec was 419, women’s football far from taking off in Slovakia. It felt like more, and there was a sizeable Irish presence, the team showing their appreciation as they celebrated together to rounds of ‘Olé, olé’ afterwards.
It was a lovely moment, and richly deserved for this team.
Having guaranteed their progression on an historic night at Tallaght Stadium last Thursday, this could have been a banana skin, the sides drawing in Dublin last November despite their current 17-place chasm in the Fifa world rankings.
Captain Katie McCabe epitomised The Fighting Irish tonight, in the wars throughout but showing her sheer class time and time again. Jess Ziu was named Player of the Match, O’Sullivan was her brilliant best and there was significant impact from the bench when needed.
Pauw was forced into a defensive reshuffle amidst injury and suspension. Long-time absentees returned — Claire O’Riordan joined Louise Quinn and Diane Caldwell in the back three, while Harriet Scott started at right-wing back — and new hero Lily Agg was rewarded with her first start on her fourth cap.
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Katie McCabe celebrates after the game. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland started on the front foot, buoyed by their recent momentum, but it was a game which ebbed and flowed. There were mistakes early on and several final-third passes going astray, but Megan Campbell’s deliveries — her trademark long throw, in particular — caused problems, and drew gasps from the vocal home crowd.
Referee María Martínez let plenty go, Slovakia were physical and clearly targeted McCabe, but the captain and co., wearing their orange away strip, began much brighter than last week and piled the pressure on.
Martina Šurnovská was the home side’s standout player early on, their most promising play coming down the left, but in truth, they offered very little in attack. The first shot of the game did fall to them in the 22nd minute, though, Dominika Škorvánková whipping one wide.
There was a scrappy period for Ireland, summed up by Scott overcooking a backpass and gifting the Slovaks a corner, until they began to click through the gears once more: McCabe had Ireland’s first real effort, kept out by Maria Korenciova, and the Arsenal star began linking up with O’Sullivan more and more, the latter with a shot blocked.
“Simple,” Pauw urged from the sideline, as her side really started turning the screw. On her 90th cap, Diane Caldwell came close in the 33rd minute; a McCabe corner, won by forcing a Slovak mistake, finding Louise Quinn, who headed down to Caldwell but the Reading defender snapped it wide.
Three minutes later, the damn burst and the lead goal arrived. The lively Ziu won the ball back from a Slovakian throw-in, linked up with O’Sullivan and Payne, whose pull-back got by Diana Lemešová for O’Sullivan to pounce on the turn and expertly fire home. Her 18th international senior goal was her of the campaign, the Cork ace Ireland’s second top-scorer, one behind McCabe.
The hosts did their utmost to hit back, but Lemešová’s long-range effort at the other end did little to bother Courtney Brosnan. Ireland went in with their tails up at the break, and looked like they’d pick up where they left off thereafter, but the restart brought a bit of a lull.
The visitors struggled to get going, their play losing direction, though not helped by the half’s stop-start nature. Heather Payne, who did well up top, went off to have her knee strapped, while McCabe was nailed by Lemešová around the hour-mark.
Not long beforehand, she went close with a volley which dipped over the crossbar off the back of a Campbell throw, and after, she mixed fire with ice, angered by the foul but calming those around her through a nervy spell.
O’Sullivan worked tirelessly, as always, and herself and O’Riordan made important interventions. The latter was denied similarly at the other end, her shot blocked after a McCabe free.
Ireland looked strongest down the right, where left-sided star McCabe switched to, with Ziu reverting to right-wing back as Ellen Molloy was introduced. Leanne Kiernan was Pauw’s other substitute, the lightning-quick Liverpool striker taking her long-awaited chance.
Her Reds team-mate Campbell was subjected to plenty of noise from the home crowd down the home straight. Slovakia substitute Tamara Morávková was away down the right, but appeared to swipe while holding off the Drogheda native, who went down clutching her face.
The duo had a right rivalry from there, as the atmosphere turned a little hostile and Slovakia did they utmost to claw back. They called for every little thing, playing up to the referee.
But Brosnan and Ireland dealt with everything thrown their way through a nail-biting finish.
And got the job done. That’s all that mattered.
Onwards.
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Harriet Scott (Ellen Molloy 68), Claire O’Riordan, Louise Quinn, Diane Caldwell, Megan Campbell; Jess Ziu, Denise O’Sullivan, Lily Agg, Katie McCabe; Heather Payne (Leanne Kiernan 83).
SLOVAKIA: Maria Korenciova; Kristína Košíková, Jana Vojteková, Diana Lemešová, Patricia Fischerova, Andrea Horvathova; L’udmila Mat’aková (Stela Semanová 66), Dominika Škorvánková, Mária Mikolajová, Martina Šurnovská (Kristina Panakova 83); Patrícia Hmírová (Tamara Morávková 72).
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O'Sullivan goal hands Ireland win in Slovakia and World Cup play-off bye
Slovakia 0
Republic of Ireland 1
AN EXTREMELY CONVOLUTED World Cup play-off path lies ahead, but this evening’s task was straightforward: win, and shorten it slightly.
Three points in Senec secures a first-round bye for Ireland, and ensures the Girls In Green finish their Group A campaign on a high: a case of job done and mission accomplished, a fifth win to add to two draws and one defeat.
It was far from their finest 90 minutes, but Denise O’Sullivan’s 36th minute goal was the difference, and hands Vera Pauw’s side a bye in the first round of the play-offs. The draw is set for Friday afternoon; what could effectively be a home or away final ahead in Round Two.
The official attendance at a balmy NTC Senec was 419, women’s football far from taking off in Slovakia. It felt like more, and there was a sizeable Irish presence, the team showing their appreciation as they celebrated together to rounds of ‘Olé, olé’ afterwards.
It was a lovely moment, and richly deserved for this team.
Having guaranteed their progression on an historic night at Tallaght Stadium last Thursday, this could have been a banana skin, the sides drawing in Dublin last November despite their current 17-place chasm in the Fifa world rankings.
Captain Katie McCabe epitomised The Fighting Irish tonight, in the wars throughout but showing her sheer class time and time again. Jess Ziu was named Player of the Match, O’Sullivan was her brilliant best and there was significant impact from the bench when needed.
Pauw was forced into a defensive reshuffle amidst injury and suspension. Long-time absentees returned — Claire O’Riordan joined Louise Quinn and Diane Caldwell in the back three, while Harriet Scott started at right-wing back — and new hero Lily Agg was rewarded with her first start on her fourth cap.
Ireland started on the front foot, buoyed by their recent momentum, but it was a game which ebbed and flowed. There were mistakes early on and several final-third passes going astray, but Megan Campbell’s deliveries — her trademark long throw, in particular — caused problems, and drew gasps from the vocal home crowd.
Referee María Martínez let plenty go, Slovakia were physical and clearly targeted McCabe, but the captain and co., wearing their orange away strip, began much brighter than last week and piled the pressure on.
Martina Šurnovská was the home side’s standout player early on, their most promising play coming down the left, but in truth, they offered very little in attack. The first shot of the game did fall to them in the 22nd minute, though, Dominika Škorvánková whipping one wide.
There was a scrappy period for Ireland, summed up by Scott overcooking a backpass and gifting the Slovaks a corner, until they began to click through the gears once more: McCabe had Ireland’s first real effort, kept out by Maria Korenciova, and the Arsenal star began linking up with O’Sullivan more and more, the latter with a shot blocked.
“Simple,” Pauw urged from the sideline, as her side really started turning the screw. On her 90th cap, Diane Caldwell came close in the 33rd minute; a McCabe corner, won by forcing a Slovak mistake, finding Louise Quinn, who headed down to Caldwell but the Reading defender snapped it wide.
Three minutes later, the damn burst and the lead goal arrived. The lively Ziu won the ball back from a Slovakian throw-in, linked up with O’Sullivan and Payne, whose pull-back got by Diana Lemešová for O’Sullivan to pounce on the turn and expertly fire home. Her 18th international senior goal was her of the campaign, the Cork ace Ireland’s second top-scorer, one behind McCabe.
The hosts did their utmost to hit back, but Lemešová’s long-range effort at the other end did little to bother Courtney Brosnan. Ireland went in with their tails up at the break, and looked like they’d pick up where they left off thereafter, but the restart brought a bit of a lull.
The visitors struggled to get going, their play losing direction, though not helped by the half’s stop-start nature. Heather Payne, who did well up top, went off to have her knee strapped, while McCabe was nailed by Lemešová around the hour-mark.
Not long beforehand, she went close with a volley which dipped over the crossbar off the back of a Campbell throw, and after, she mixed fire with ice, angered by the foul but calming those around her through a nervy spell.
O’Sullivan worked tirelessly, as always, and herself and O’Riordan made important interventions. The latter was denied similarly at the other end, her shot blocked after a McCabe free.
Ireland looked strongest down the right, where left-sided star McCabe switched to, with Ziu reverting to right-wing back as Ellen Molloy was introduced. Leanne Kiernan was Pauw’s other substitute, the lightning-quick Liverpool striker taking her long-awaited chance.
Her Reds team-mate Campbell was subjected to plenty of noise from the home crowd down the home straight. Slovakia substitute Tamara Morávková was away down the right, but appeared to swipe while holding off the Drogheda native, who went down clutching her face.
The duo had a right rivalry from there, as the atmosphere turned a little hostile and Slovakia did they utmost to claw back. They called for every little thing, playing up to the referee.
But Brosnan and Ireland dealt with everything thrown their way through a nail-biting finish.
And got the job done. That’s all that mattered.
Onwards.
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Harriet Scott (Ellen Molloy 68), Claire O’Riordan, Louise Quinn, Diane Caldwell, Megan Campbell; Jess Ziu, Denise O’Sullivan, Lily Agg, Katie McCabe; Heather Payne (Leanne Kiernan 83).
SLOVAKIA: Maria Korenciova; Kristína Košíková, Jana Vojteková, Diana Lemešová, Patricia Fischerova, Andrea Horvathova; L’udmila Mat’aková (Stela Semanová 66), Dominika Škorvánková, Mária Mikolajová, Martina Šurnovská (Kristina Panakova 83); Patrícia Hmírová (Tamara Morávková 72).
Referee: María Martínez (Spain).
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Ireland Job Done Report Slovakia