The Irish players dropped to the ground in agony after falling on the wrong side of history.
It was Wales who qualified for a first European Championships — and maiden major tournament.
Eileen Gleeson’s side were beaten 2-1 on the night, 3-2 on aggregate, their party spoiled in front of 25,832 fans at the Aviva Stadium.
It all came undone in a dramatic second half.
A Hannah Cain penalty on the restart — after a dubious VAR decision on Anna Patten — and a breakaway goal from Carrie Jones sent Rhian Wilkinson’s Dragons into dreamland.
Patten responded for Ireland, who pushed for an equaliser late on, but another feisty encounter ended in despair.
No back-to-back major tournaments for the Girls In Green, despite their utmost effort.
Now for the post-mortem.
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Katie McCabe in action. for Ireland. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
Friday’s 1-1 draw in Cardiff left this tie on a knife-edge. There was no shortage of needle and aggression on the pitch, and that continued off it in recent days: from Wilkinson’s comments about Ireland’s playing style and “looking forward to making history in their home” to Katie McCabe highlighting “cheap shots” and Eileen Gleeson straight batting.
More fireworks and flashpoints would follow on an action-packed night.
Gleeson made one change to her team, with Jessie Stapleton replacing Lily Agg in midfield and joining Ruesha Littlejohn in a double pivot. This allowed Ireland’s wing backs, McCabe and Heather Payne, to push higher and also involved Denise O’Sullivan more. They enjoyed applied good early pressure, but invited Wales on them by cheaply giving away possession.
Cain, returning to the XI from an ACL injury, was a live threat alongside Jess Fishlock, while their other change, Josephine Green, followed her predecessor, Ceri Holland, by going to battle with McCabe on the left. The Irish captain went typically full blooded and was booked early — she was lucky not to be sent off by half time for a late challenge on Rachel Rowe.
Ireland were certainly the better team in the first half: they dominated possession (63% to 37%), touches in the opposition box (12 to one) and shots (eight to four). O’Sullivan came closest as she hit the woodwork in the 24th minute. The Cork star was cruelly denied from distance after brilliant work from Kyra Carusa out wide, and Payne couldn’t follow-up from the rebound — not for the first time tonight.
McCabe arrowed wide; the relentless Russell had a curling effort denied by Olivia Clark; and Niamh Fahey let fly from distance just before the break. They just couldn’t make their chances count.
Courtney Brosnan stepped up at the other end with a couple of big saves in quick succession; first a Lily Woodham free-kick and then a reactionary stop to deny Rhiannon Roberts on the turn.
Ireland will have been relatively happy at the break, but it all came crashing down thereafter.
There was confusion initially as referee Marta Huerta De Aza ran to the VAR monitor after no one reacted to Woodham’s free-kick into the box. The big screen didn’t work initially, but the decision was eventually made to award a penalty for an Anna Patten handball. It appeared harsh, the Irish defender’s elbow in an unnatural position.
Cain stepped up and coolly slotted right, sending Brosnan the wrong way. Sucker punch.
Ireland tried to respond, but the concession rocked them.
Wales thrived and threatened on the counter. A Rachel Rowe ball across the box just evaded Cain, with Brosnan fully committed. They broke again after protests around a potential Fishlock handball in the Irish box; Woodham to Cain to Angharad James.
The crucial break came in the 67th minute, Carrie Jones the goalscoring hero after just entering the fray. She was played through by Woodham, got away from the hapless Caitlin Hayes, and fired home to send to 400 travelling support into ruptures.
The atmosphere in the Aviva Stadium punctured. Gleeson made her first substitutions of the night five minutes later, a triple change of Leanne Kiernan, Megan Connolly and Megan Campbell, while Wales did their utmost to run down the clock. An unpopular pitch invader did so, too.
Denise O'Sullivan and Katie McCabe battle for possession. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland huffed and puffed, and Patten pulled one back in the 86th minute. It came from a McCabe corner, her first headed effort cleared off the line by Rhiannon Roberts, but she nailed her second effort.
Kitchen sink time, if it wasn’t already.
Campbell slung long throws, ultimately to no avail, but one Hayes garryowen was cleared off the line. Ireland pleaded for it to be checked, but Huerta De Aza waved them on.
Bodies dropped everywhere in the Welsh box through a chaotic end game.
A big chance fell to Kiernan, but she couldn’t profit. There was another last-ditch block on O’Sullivan.
The final whistle sounded, Irish bodies hit the ground in tears as the Welsh players soared for the stars.
Agony and ecstasy.
History and utter, utter heartbreak.
Republic of Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Anna Patten, Niamh Fahey (Megan Campbell 72), Caitlin Hayes; Heather Payne (Izzy Atkinson 84), Ruesha Littlejohn (Megan Connolly 72), Denise O’Sullivan, Jessie Stapleton, Katie McCabe; Julie Ann Russell (Leanne Kiernan 72), Kyra Carusa (Abbie Larkin 84).
Wales: Olivia Clark; Gemma Evans, Hayley Ladd, Rhiannon Roberts; Lily Woodham (Ceri Holland 72), Angharad James, Alice Griffiths (Ella Powell 82), Josephine Green; Jess Fishlock (Carrie Jones 63), Hannah Cain (Ffion Morgan 63), Rachel Rowe.
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Heartbreak for Ireland as Wales beat them to historic Euro 2025 qualification
Republic of Ireland 1
Wales 2
Wales win 3-2 on aggregate
HEARTBREAK.
UTTER HEARTBREAK.
The Irish players dropped to the ground in agony after falling on the wrong side of history.
It was Wales who qualified for a first European Championships — and maiden major tournament.
Eileen Gleeson’s side were beaten 2-1 on the night, 3-2 on aggregate, their party spoiled in front of 25,832 fans at the Aviva Stadium.
It all came undone in a dramatic second half.
A Hannah Cain penalty on the restart — after a dubious VAR decision on Anna Patten — and a breakaway goal from Carrie Jones sent Rhian Wilkinson’s Dragons into dreamland.
Patten responded for Ireland, who pushed for an equaliser late on, but another feisty encounter ended in despair.
No back-to-back major tournaments for the Girls In Green, despite their utmost effort.
Now for the post-mortem.
Friday’s 1-1 draw in Cardiff left this tie on a knife-edge. There was no shortage of needle and aggression on the pitch, and that continued off it in recent days: from Wilkinson’s comments about Ireland’s playing style and “looking forward to making history in their home” to Katie McCabe highlighting “cheap shots” and Eileen Gleeson straight batting.
More fireworks and flashpoints would follow on an action-packed night.
Gleeson made one change to her team, with Jessie Stapleton replacing Lily Agg in midfield and joining Ruesha Littlejohn in a double pivot. This allowed Ireland’s wing backs, McCabe and Heather Payne, to push higher and also involved Denise O’Sullivan more. They enjoyed applied good early pressure, but invited Wales on them by cheaply giving away possession.
Cain, returning to the XI from an ACL injury, was a live threat alongside Jess Fishlock, while their other change, Josephine Green, followed her predecessor, Ceri Holland, by going to battle with McCabe on the left. The Irish captain went typically full blooded and was booked early — she was lucky not to be sent off by half time for a late challenge on Rachel Rowe.
Ireland were certainly the better team in the first half: they dominated possession (63% to 37%), touches in the opposition box (12 to one) and shots (eight to four). O’Sullivan came closest as she hit the woodwork in the 24th minute. The Cork star was cruelly denied from distance after brilliant work from Kyra Carusa out wide, and Payne couldn’t follow-up from the rebound — not for the first time tonight.
McCabe arrowed wide; the relentless Russell had a curling effort denied by Olivia Clark; and Niamh Fahey let fly from distance just before the break. They just couldn’t make their chances count.
Courtney Brosnan stepped up at the other end with a couple of big saves in quick succession; first a Lily Woodham free-kick and then a reactionary stop to deny Rhiannon Roberts on the turn.
Ireland will have been relatively happy at the break, but it all came crashing down thereafter.
There was confusion initially as referee Marta Huerta De Aza ran to the VAR monitor after no one reacted to Woodham’s free-kick into the box. The big screen didn’t work initially, but the decision was eventually made to award a penalty for an Anna Patten handball. It appeared harsh, the Irish defender’s elbow in an unnatural position.
Cain stepped up and coolly slotted right, sending Brosnan the wrong way. Sucker punch.
Ireland tried to respond, but the concession rocked them.
Wales thrived and threatened on the counter. A Rachel Rowe ball across the box just evaded Cain, with Brosnan fully committed. They broke again after protests around a potential Fishlock handball in the Irish box; Woodham to Cain to Angharad James.
The crucial break came in the 67th minute, Carrie Jones the goalscoring hero after just entering the fray. She was played through by Woodham, got away from the hapless Caitlin Hayes, and fired home to send to 400 travelling support into ruptures.
The atmosphere in the Aviva Stadium punctured. Gleeson made her first substitutions of the night five minutes later, a triple change of Leanne Kiernan, Megan Connolly and Megan Campbell, while Wales did their utmost to run down the clock. An unpopular pitch invader did so, too.
Ireland huffed and puffed, and Patten pulled one back in the 86th minute. It came from a McCabe corner, her first headed effort cleared off the line by Rhiannon Roberts, but she nailed her second effort.
Kitchen sink time, if it wasn’t already.
Campbell slung long throws, ultimately to no avail, but one Hayes garryowen was cleared off the line. Ireland pleaded for it to be checked, but Huerta De Aza waved them on.
Bodies dropped everywhere in the Welsh box through a chaotic end game.
A big chance fell to Kiernan, but she couldn’t profit. There was another last-ditch block on O’Sullivan.
The final whistle sounded, Irish bodies hit the ground in tears as the Welsh players soared for the stars.
Agony and ecstasy.
History and utter, utter heartbreak.
Republic of Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Anna Patten, Niamh Fahey (Megan Campbell 72), Caitlin Hayes; Heather Payne (Izzy Atkinson 84), Ruesha Littlejohn (Megan Connolly 72), Denise O’Sullivan, Jessie Stapleton, Katie McCabe; Julie Ann Russell (Leanne Kiernan 72), Kyra Carusa (Abbie Larkin 84).
Wales: Olivia Clark; Gemma Evans, Hayley Ladd, Rhiannon Roberts; Lily Woodham (Ceri Holland 72), Angharad James, Alice Griffiths (Ella Powell 82), Josephine Green; Jess Fishlock (Carrie Jones 63), Hannah Cain (Ffion Morgan 63), Rachel Rowe.
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza (Spain).
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