Northern Ireland 1 Republic of Ireland 6
Here is Gavin Cummiskey’s match report from Windsor Park. Surprise surprise, Katie McCabe comes in for plenty of praise.
We weren’t focusing on the number of goals. We had projections on focus and intensity, the goals would come. Overall a really good performance. I couldn’t be prouder of the effort, the motivation. There’s been distraction around the lack of motivation behind a performance, that was an answer to those who made those comments.
The future is bright, what a year for Irish women’s football. I love the girls, I love Irish football, I’ve been involved in it for 30 years. This is not a single person’s job, this is a whole interdisciplinary team who have been amazing.
This team is going to maximise its potential. We talk about keeping the narrative going, to be continued. We go again and I think we are going to go again. This team is going to drive forward.
— Eileen Gleeson
Time to hear from Gleeson herself. Interestingly, she didn’t definitively say this was her last match, talking instead about keeping the narrative of the side - granted not herself - going forward.
She spoke with a lot of emotion about how proud she is of the side, so her comments definitely did have a tone of finality despite the lack of clearcut announcement.
If this is the end of the road for Gleeson, which by all accounts it is, it’s been some run. Six wins out of six with 20 goals is a run of form that would have been unfathomable prior to the World Cup. It’s a testament to the work done by her and the rest of her backroom staff that plenty would love to see Gleeson remain in situ.
I scored a couple of weeks back with my right! It was good play from us initially down the right hand side, we switched the play well. Ruesha or Jamie was shouting ‘Shoot’ behind me so I took a swing. Luckily it went in.
— Katie McCabe on her rare goal with her weaker right foot
Full-time: Northern Ireland 1 Republic of Ireland 6
All the narratives tie in together nicely in the end. The last game - we assume - of the Eileen Gleeson era ends with another dominant win. Ireland preserve their 100 per cent record in this Nations League campaign. They continue to find the net almost at will, 20 goals in six games with just the two conceded.
Six different goal scorers on the night. Yes, McCabe was a deserved player of the match and Ireland leant on her a lot (goal and an assist), but Lucy Quinn also was a threat, while the set-piece courtesy of Megan Connolly was a constant threat as well.
Ireland really have unlocked an excellent attacking dimension to their play, the question now is can they continue to display that next year against better opposition?
Katie McCabe has been named player of the match. She deserves it alone for that stunner, but she has been once again Ireland’s dominant source of attacking ball down that left flank.
90+1 mins: CHANCE! Carusa fires wide after dangerous build-up play. McCabe looked like she was shaping up for the shot at the edge of the area, instead slipping in Carusa. She takes the shot first time but snatches at it slightly.
The fourth official has indicated there are four additional minutes for Northern Ireland to endure.
GOAL CAITLIN HAYES
Another Megan Connolly set-piece delivers for Ireland. The ball is whipped into a dangerous area and Hayes shrugs off her defender, getting to the ball to volley home into the bottom corner while off-balance. Brilliant strike.
85 mins: Eileen Gleeson makes her final change. Jamie Finn makes way for Lily Agg in midfield.
82 mins: Changes for Ireland. Lucy Quinn is off for Izzy Atkinson while Chloe Mustaki replaces Louise Quinn.
81 mins: The game is really opening up now. Carusa has a clear run after being played in by O’Sullivan on the break. She doesn’t have the gas to make it all the way, holding the ball up for the support. NI steal it back and break straight back and it takes Brosnan coming off her line to get rid of the danger.
77 mins: That would have been some goal. Larkin links with Carusa down the right, and O’Sullivan’s touch to work past the defender is a beauty. Spotting the run of Connolly into the box, O’Sullivan rolls the ball into her path. Her first-time effort is well struck, but deflected over the bar. Connolly says it hit an arm but the officials stick with the decision of a corner.
GOAL NORTHERN IRELAND
Beattie pulls one back! Frustrations for the Republic that they haven’t kept a clean sheet. The defence fails to clear a corner, Holloway gathers and strikes and it takes a flick off the substitute Beattie and past Courtney Brosnan.
72 mins: Holloway has recovered from her moment of madness well. McCabe spots the run of Carusa in behind nicely, picking her out as she rolls the ball into the box. The striker is lining up a shot, could easily be Ireland’s sixth, but Holloway slides in perfectly to quash the danger.
64 mins: Frustrations showing for Northern Ireland now. Holloway throws the ball into the ground in disgust after giving away a throw-in. Denise O’Sullivan can’t take it quickly as a result and Holloway is needlessly booked.
63 mins: Eileen Gleeson responds to the goal with a pair of substitutions. Littlejohn is off, Stapleton on. Abbie Larkin also enters in place of Heather Payne.
GOAL LOUISE QUINN
What a header. Louise Quinn has had a quiet night defensively, but this is some effort. Megan Connolly swings in the corner, Quinn meets it 15 yards out but gets some connection on the ball, arcing it beautifully over the head of the ‘keeper and into the top corner.
59 mins: It’s been a quiet 10 or so minutes since the two goals. It livens up again when Payne has a go from distance, Harvey-Clifford being called into action to tip the strike over the bar. She is adamant she didn’t touch it, but a corner is given. It did rattle the bar as well, but quite clearly took a touch. I don’t know why she wouldn’t claim the acrobatic save.
53 mins: Littlejohn tries to take McCabe’s lead, attempting to bend a free-kick into the top corner from distance. It isn’t a great strike, the ball sailing high and wide.
GOAL KATIE MCCABE
Katie McCabe only scores bangers. Again, Ireland strike twice in quick succession. McCabe dances inside off the left, tracking across the box. From 20-yards out, she takes aim with her right foot - her weaker of the two - and picks out the top corner with ease.
What a strike. Ireland are coasting now.
GOAL KYRA CARUSA
Less than two minutes played in the second half and Ireland have a third. McCabe sticks the ball in the box, the ‘keeper is in no man’s land and Carusa shrugs off her marker far too easily to get a head on it and stick the ball in the back of the net.
46 mins: The teams are back out for the second half. NI have made two changes, Magill is gone. Demi Vance and Kerry Beatie are on.
As for Northern Ireland, at times they looked like getting a foothold in the match. Especially early on, striker Simone Magill did well when holding up play alone high up the pitch, waiting for support to link up. There has been some joy with her feeding the likes Marissa Callaghan down the left, but by and large there has been a lack of end product.
Half-time: Northern Ireland 0 Republic of Ireland 2
A lethal minute of play which saw Quinn and Payne strike for Ireland has them comfortably in front of the break. Apart from that 60 seconds of madness, neither side has created any clear chances of note.
Ireland’s most threatening attack route has, surprise surprise, been down McCabe’s left flank, with long balls for her and Quinn to chase proving particularly effective. Both goals came from attacks down that side, Quinn cutting in from wide for her goal while her cross from the same flank set up Payne’s volley.
45+3 mins: McCabe with another good long ball down the left sends Carusa into space. She does well when outnumbered to force a corner.
From the set-piece, Connolly’s delivery is headed goalwards by Louise Quinn but it drifts wide. That is that, the half-time whistle is blown.
Three additional minutes at the end of the first half.
42 mins: If NI are rattled by that doubles strike, they aren’t showing it. Callaghan sends a dangerous cross in from out wide, so dangerous in fact that Brosnan has to turn it behind for a corner, colliding with the post in the process.
GOAL HEATHER PAYNE
Two goals in a minute for Ireland! Quinn turns scorer to provider. Her ball in from the left is begging to be buried, and that’s exactly what Payne does. She loses her marker - granted far too easily - and volleys nicely into the roof of the net from close range.
GOAL LUCY QUINN
Ireland strike first. Lucy Quinn scored against the North back in the Aviva and she’s done it again here.
It starts off with Hayes’ beautiful diagonal long ball to McCabe. Quinn takes it up down the left, cuts in onto her right and curls it beautifully into the net from the edge of the box. Goalkeeper Harvey-Clifford will be disappointed, she completely misread the flight of the ball and dove the wrong way!
34 mins: McCabe is down clutching her ankle after getting trod on by Magill. There’s no love lost there, the NI striker semi-pushing her over after making contact, as if to say ‘Get on out of that.’ McCabe eventually gets up and is able to continue.
31 mins: Half an opportunity for NI as Hayes’ attempted header clear off a corner is deflected back into the box. There’s a bit of a scramble for the ball but ROI safely manage to clear.
28 mins: ROI scream for a handball after a cross from Payne looks to have brushed the arm of the defender. The referee has a good view of it and immediately dismisses their appeals.
26 mins: After a period of dominance possession-wise for ROI, NI earn a rare foray forward with Holloway picking a good long pass down the flank. Wade looks to play Magill in behind in turn but slices her effort badly as it rolls out for a goal-kick.
21 mins: Carusa holds the ball up well close to the box, backing into her marker and holding her off. She wings the ball to Finn who in turn sends Payne down the right. She crosses looking for Payne who had continued her run but, once again, Harvey-Clifford is assured when coming to claim in the air.
19 mins: Both sides continue to to show plenty of intent going forward but with no real quality in the final third. A long ball to McCabe down the left does lead to a corner when the Ireland captain hassles her marker into turning the ball behind. Connolly sends the ball into the box but it’s too close to Harvey-Clifford who gathers well under pressure.
13 mins: Better from Ireland as O’Sullivan and Payne combine nicely down the right. The latter sticks a dangerous ball into the box, but McCabe picked the wrong run and NI can clear.
12 mins: NI are building into this reasonably nicely. Hamilton down the right is asking plenty of questions while Magill’s hold-up play up front is strong. No real chances of yet but they are doing a decent job of holding onto the ball.
8 mins: Close! Holloway lets fly from distance and it never looks to be on target. Regardless, the effort dips late and lands on the roof of Courtney Brosnan’s net, dropping closer than perhaps the ROI ‘keeper thought it might.
6 mins: That could have gone anywhere. NI goalkeeper Maddie Harvey-Clifford takes too long on the ball close to her own net. Kyra Carusa pressures and manages to block the attempted clearance. Fortunately for Harvey-Clifford, the ball rolls out of play for a goal-kick when it could easily have gone into the net.
2 mins: Half a chance for Ireland. McCabe is out wide instead of through the middle and immediately Ireland look more threatening. She wins the ball back high up the park, launching an early through ball for Lucy Quinn to chase. It’s perfectly placed but Quinn’s touch let herself down when she was in space in the box.
1 min: We are underway in Windsor Park! Northern Ireland kick things off, launching a long ball up for striker Simone Magill to chase. Louise Quinn deals with it easily and ROI settle into an early passage in possession.
Amhrán na bhFiann and God Save the King are over and done with, kick-off is moments away.
Hear from Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson ahead of kick-off.
Team news is in. Two changes for the Republic of Ireland from Friday night’s win: Jamie Finn comes into the midfield in place of Tyler Toland while Lucy Quinn starts, in place of Izzy Atkinson, with Katie McCabe shifting back from a number 10 to wing. Sinead Farrelly, influential in that win off the bench, is left out of the squad altogether. There is likely an injury we don’t yet know about.
As for Northern Ireland, they have a fair bit on the line tonight. They are currently two points ahead of Hungary, who are expected to beat Albania this evening.
A draw between the two Ireland sides tonight, coupled with a Hungary victory should still see the North finish in second given their superior goal difference. The prize is a playoff with a third-placed team in League A, the top tier, for a place in the upper echelons next year.
A defeat for Northern Ireland and a victory for Hungary would see Tanya Oxtoby’s team drop down to third and out of contention. They are up against it, likely needing a draw or a victory tonight, but have plenty to play for.
A simple choice was presented to the Republic of Ireland. Aim for three scoreless draws at the World Cup in Australia or abandon the low block and properly utilise the attacking verve of Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan.
Option A was largely employed throughout the World Cup. Interim Irish manager Eileen Gleeson, aligned with her assistant coaches Emma Byrne and Colin Healy, have fully embraced Option B.
— Gavin Cummiskey
If a lone summation of this Nations League campaign is possible, Gavin Cummiskey’s above comments in his match preview would be the best attempt. Gleeson has been seen as a breath of fresh air by many for attempting to unlock the attacking capabilities of Ireland’s best attacking talents.
[ Katie McCabe: ‘Five wins, four clean sheets, top of the group’Opens in new window ]
The opposition has at times been poor, but by and large it has brought great success to the tune of five consecutive victories since an underwhelming World Cup campaign.
We have to be positive about that. Are there aspects of performance we’d like to change? Absolutely. Is it a learning process? Absolutely. Have we people in different positions? Yes. Does it bring different moments in the game that we need to be better? Yes.
Did we come away with three points? Done.
— Eileen Gleeson after Friday night's win over Hungary
Hear from Ireland boss Eileen Gleeson after Friday’s frustrating win.
[ Eileen Gleeson not resting on her laurels after five-game winning streakOpens in new window ]
‘A win is a win’ was very much the messaging from the Ireland camp. Gleeson also discussed the decision to play Katie McCabe in a more central, second striker role rather than her usual spot out on the wing.
Of course, this is the second match of this international window. On Friday, a scrappy Ireland performance was just about enough to see off Hungary 1-0 in Tallaght.
On a cold evening, Ireland needed an injection of energy from Sinead Farrelly and an own goal to take the three points. You can catch up on Gavin Cummiskey’s match report from the game here.
Another day, another contest for the Republic of Ireland women’s side as they look to rubber-stamp a perfect winning run in their Nations League campaign.
In the last international of the calendar year, Eileen Gleeson takes her side up the M1 to Belfast to take on Northern Ireland. The last time these two sides met, the Republic came out on top 3-0 at the Aviva Stadium. Another victory in Windsor Park tonight would ensure Ireland have won six games out of six in this Nations League campaign, further outlining their credentials as the group’s best side having always guaranteed a first place finish and promotion to the top flight of European football.
My name is Nathan Johns, I’ll be guiding you through all the action which kicks off at 6pm.
