THERE WAS an incident after 10 minutes of the first half tonight when Irish duo Heather Payne and Jessie Stapleton both went for the same ball and were involved in a nasty collision.
That unfortunate moment felt like a metaphor for everything that followed.
There was an anxiety about Ireland’s play. They weren’t quite on the same page. Something was off. The team were malfunctioning.
It took until the 67th minute when they went two goals down before they really started to play.
It was only when they had nothing to lose that they finally looked galvanised.
A late rally yielded a goal and a breathless finish but ultimately it was Wales who were left celebrating a historic first-ever qualification for the European Championships.
Denise O’Sullivan did almost score, curling a superb effort off onto the woodwork from a distance, but the moment of beauty was an anomaly in an ugly opening period.
The first half was as scrappy and nerve-ridden as last week’s tentative first leg.
There was little to separate the team after 45 minutes.
Ireland had the better possession (62.6%), but Wales edged the shots on target (3 to 2).
Katie McCabe flirted with disaster.
The Arsenal star, already on a booking, looked as if she was set to commit another reckless late challenge, but pulled out to the extent that contact was minimal and she was let off with a warning.
Tight games at this level are often decided either by a mistake or a moment of brilliance.
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The hosts’ defence had rarely been seriously tested until the 50th minute when Wales took the lead out of nothing.
Lily Woodham’s hopeful free kick connected with Anna Patten’s outstretched arm and the referee pointed to the spot after a VAR check.
The home crowd were stunned into silence but were quickly rejuvenated.
Ireland began playing with more intensity after going behind.
O’Sullivan tested the goalkeeper again and some set pieces had the visitors under pressure.
However, Wales were looking increasingly dangerous on the counter.
Courtney Brosnan denied Welsh skipper Angharad James with a crucial save as the away side exploited the extra space caused by Ireland’s more ambitious approach.
The visitors were playing with great confidence by now and Ireland could not contain them for much longer.
Rhian Wilkinson’s side made no mistake from another counter-attack in the 67th minute.
Substitute Carrie Jones got the better of a 50:50 ball with Caitlin Hayes before running through and finishing expertly.
As the game approached its dying stages, Ireland huffed and puffed but were too often short of the necessary composure against a dogged Welsh side who slowed the game down and managed their lead well as you would expect any team in their position to do.
Patten ensured a frantic finish, partially atoning for her earlier error by heading home a set piece at the second attempt.
There were several nervy moments for Wales in the dying minutes — some last-ditch challenges, goal-line clearances and a great chance that substitute Leanne Kiernan could not convert with a defender and goalkeeper bearing down on her.
It is hard not to compare Ireland’s despair at the Aviva tonight to the joy of Hampden Park two years ago when Vera Pauw’s side beat Scotland in a similarly tense game to secure a first-ever World Cup qualification.
On that occasion, Scotland were the slight favourites, whereas tonight the bookies were tipping Ireland to progress.
So what went wrong?
The build-up was less than ideal.
Ireland were too good for their Nations League group — winning all six of their games, scoring 20 and conceding just two.
And in the Euro qualifiers, they were unquestionably a level below England, France and Sweden.
Their playoff before tonight was also a complete mismatch, as they beat Georgia 9-0.
This Wales playoff is arguably the first time they have played a team at a similar level to them in a truly competitive fixture since the World Cup.
And perhaps the weight of expectation played a part in this below-par.
The enormous pressure on captain Katie McCabe’s shoulders, in particular, is impossible for us mere mortals to appreciate fully.
The 29-year-old cut a frustrated figure for much of the contest and was lucky to avoid a booking for a second time after the referee adjudged that she dived in an unsuccessful attempt to win a free kick.
More than anything, it felt like a night when fortune was against Ireland.
That night in Glasgow, Ireland got out of jail when Courtney Brosnan saved Caroline Weir.
There were such heroics this evening, as Hannah Cain sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
An emotional Irish side deserved the warm applause at the final whistle — there was shortage of effort and endeavour — but ultimately the quality and luck needed eluded them on a night to forget.
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A night where little went right as Ireland fail to deliver on the big occasion
THERE WAS an incident after 10 minutes of the first half tonight when Irish duo Heather Payne and Jessie Stapleton both went for the same ball and were involved in a nasty collision.
That unfortunate moment felt like a metaphor for everything that followed.
There was an anxiety about Ireland’s play. They weren’t quite on the same page. Something was off. The team were malfunctioning.
It took until the 67th minute when they went two goals down before they really started to play.
It was only when they had nothing to lose that they finally looked galvanised.
A late rally yielded a goal and a breathless finish but ultimately it was Wales who were left celebrating a historic first-ever qualification for the European Championships.
Denise O’Sullivan did almost score, curling a superb effort off onto the woodwork from a distance, but the moment of beauty was an anomaly in an ugly opening period.
The first half was as scrappy and nerve-ridden as last week’s tentative first leg.
There was little to separate the team after 45 minutes.
Ireland had the better possession (62.6%), but Wales edged the shots on target (3 to 2).
Katie McCabe flirted with disaster.
The Arsenal star, already on a booking, looked as if she was set to commit another reckless late challenge, but pulled out to the extent that contact was minimal and she was let off with a warning.
Tight games at this level are often decided either by a mistake or a moment of brilliance.
The hosts’ defence had rarely been seriously tested until the 50th minute when Wales took the lead out of nothing.
Lily Woodham’s hopeful free kick connected with Anna Patten’s outstretched arm and the referee pointed to the spot after a VAR check.
The home crowd were stunned into silence but were quickly rejuvenated.
Ireland began playing with more intensity after going behind.
O’Sullivan tested the goalkeeper again and some set pieces had the visitors under pressure.
However, Wales were looking increasingly dangerous on the counter.
Courtney Brosnan denied Welsh skipper Angharad James with a crucial save as the away side exploited the extra space caused by Ireland’s more ambitious approach.
The visitors were playing with great confidence by now and Ireland could not contain them for much longer.
Rhian Wilkinson’s side made no mistake from another counter-attack in the 67th minute.
Substitute Carrie Jones got the better of a 50:50 ball with Caitlin Hayes before running through and finishing expertly.
As the game approached its dying stages, Ireland huffed and puffed but were too often short of the necessary composure against a dogged Welsh side who slowed the game down and managed their lead well as you would expect any team in their position to do.
Patten ensured a frantic finish, partially atoning for her earlier error by heading home a set piece at the second attempt.
There were several nervy moments for Wales in the dying minutes — some last-ditch challenges, goal-line clearances and a great chance that substitute Leanne Kiernan could not convert with a defender and goalkeeper bearing down on her.
It is hard not to compare Ireland’s despair at the Aviva tonight to the joy of Hampden Park two years ago when Vera Pauw’s side beat Scotland in a similarly tense game to secure a first-ever World Cup qualification.
On that occasion, Scotland were the slight favourites, whereas tonight the bookies were tipping Ireland to progress.
So what went wrong?
The build-up was less than ideal.
Ireland were too good for their Nations League group — winning all six of their games, scoring 20 and conceding just two.
And in the Euro qualifiers, they were unquestionably a level below England, France and Sweden.
Their playoff before tonight was also a complete mismatch, as they beat Georgia 9-0.
This Wales playoff is arguably the first time they have played a team at a similar level to them in a truly competitive fixture since the World Cup.
And perhaps the weight of expectation played a part in this below-par.
The enormous pressure on captain Katie McCabe’s shoulders, in particular, is impossible for us mere mortals to appreciate fully.
The 29-year-old cut a frustrated figure for much of the contest and was lucky to avoid a booking for a second time after the referee adjudged that she dived in an unsuccessful attempt to win a free kick.
More than anything, it felt like a night when fortune was against Ireland.
That night in Glasgow, Ireland got out of jail when Courtney Brosnan saved Caroline Weir.
There were such heroics this evening, as Hannah Cain sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
An emotional Irish side deserved the warm applause at the final whistle — there was shortage of effort and endeavour — but ultimately the quality and luck needed eluded them on a night to forget.
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Comment Eileen Gleeson talking point Ireland Republic Wales