REPUBLIC OF IRELAND manager Vera Pauw has named Megan Campbell in her starting side to face Finland in this evening’s crucial World Cup qualifier at Tallaght Stadium.
Liverpool’s Campbell, whose very career has been threatened by a horrendous sequence of serious knee and ankle injuries over the last three years, will start in green for the first time since October 2019 at left wing-back.
With her club skipper Niamh Fahey ruled out, the 29-year-old Drogheda woman will finally earn her 43rd Ireland cap wide left of Ireland’s defence. Meanwhile, Pauw has named among her three centre-backs Megan Connolly, who performed so well in the position during April’s 1-1 draw with Sweden in Gothenburg.
Campbell’s inclusion sees Ireland captain Katie McCabe deployed in a more advanced role on the left wing.
There’s also a return on the bench for Kildare woman Hayley Nolan of the London City Lionesses, who was recalled by Pauw for the first time in a year after recovering from a shoulder injury.
Ireland can seal a play-off place with victory over Finland at a sold-out Tallaght Stadium this evening (kick-off 7pm).
Teams
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Jamie Finn, Diane Caldwell, Louise Quinn, Megan Connolly, Megan Campbell; Jess Ziu, Denise O’Sullivan, Ruesha Littlejohn, Katie McCabe; Heather Payne.
FINLAND: Tinja-Riika Korpela; Elli Pikkujämsä, Anna Westerlund, Natalia Kuikka, Emma Koivisto; Olga Ahtinen, Eveliina Summanen, Heidi Kollanen; Jutta Rantala, Linda Sällström.
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (France).
Time for player power here… Surely it’s not the Galway players fault they got relegated…. Manager out……. God bless karma
Hahahah.I’m delighted after they stabbed a good man in the back
Fair play to Cork big big win for them away from home .
Anthony cunningham will be laughing and would have every right to be !
Bonkers system!!! Cork don’t win a game all league but one game allows them stay in the top division!!!!
It’s not fair Julian. It’s not cricket
Serves the Galway players for what they did to Anthony Cunningham, but not for there supporters. Corcaigh Abu
Galway hae great support but they should be letting the players know that this isn’t on , to get a good hurling man like cunningham sacked was a disgrace
That’ll quieten Patrick Horgan’s critics for a while at least.
Ha ha hon the rebels
Id love to see kerry get them in tralee next year
Kerry will get a crack at Galway in June if they keep it up. And I wouldn’t put my house on Galway
Shameful how cork can stay up 0 wins and 0 points cause today was a playoff game. Galway 2 draws and 1 win and 4 points and they go down. Headquarters really need to have a look at this for all the divisions
Shussh…Seanie! The “relegation system” is designed as a safety net for the bigger counties. But dont tell anyone
Seanie, if Galway can’t beat a team who didn’t win a league game all this season ( Cork) and in Pearse Stadium, it’s not as if Galway did not know the rules of the league ( bottom two in relegation final) , and again “fail” in a “final” then maybe Division 2 hurling ( called 1b ) is a correct level for them to be playing at presently . The players have no excuses. The senior players not scoring enough from open play and not scoring goals !!
Cunningham can’t be blamed for this one.
When is the last time that a Division 2 ( 1b) team won the Liam McCarthy?
Come on Galway bounce back from another setback !!
Clare not win it from 1B? Agree with all your points though. Love the league now. Every week is a big game.
Good win delighted for the lads will do there confidence a world of good rebles abu
Those nasty Cork chappies will surely offer to relegate themselves in place of those valiant Galway boys. Change the rules I say
Bad day for galway hurling
Corks first goal came from a very dubious free out that Galway could have had as a free in…4 point swing, but overall goals win games
The free count was heavily against Cork so sorry you cant use that as an excuse …
If the league was ran off again tomorrow some other two teams in Div one might end up in the bottom two as there is very little between Galway Tipp Cork Dublin waterford and now even Killkenny have come “back” closer to this group.It is hard luck on Galway to be relagated but does it really matter? Clare and limerick are in the league semi final and both will have a big say in this years championship.
Come back Anthony. Clearly you were not the problem. A diet of humble pie for the team might do them good as they wait months for their next match of any consequence.
Dubious Frees? Corks John cronin got spear tackled by a galway player at the end, and the ref gave a free to galway? Overall the free count was by far in Galways favour. Without the 11 from Frees from Jo Canning, the margin would have been alot more convincing.
Yes the ref had Maroon colored glasses on and did his best to keep Galway in it Im surprised he did not disallow one of the goals for something innocuous ..
Totally false when a team with no points stays up.a new system where bottom team should be automatically relegated is the way to go cuts out a needless match.
Believe