Albania 0-1 Republic of Ireland
It’s been so far, so good for Ireland’s Nations League campaign under interim manager Eileen Gleeson, and a win against Albania this evening could see them clinch promotion to League A with two games to spare.
After a comfortable 5-1 win in Tallaght on Friday — headlined by Katie McCabe’s hat-trick — the expectation is that Ireland will repeat the trick in Shkoder this evening.
Kick off is at 5pm.
TEAM NEWS:
Eileen Gleeson has made two changes to the Ireland XI.
Erin McLaughlin earns her first international start after impressing off the bench on Friday night. The 20-year-old Peamount United attacker, the only home-based player in the squad, made her debut in the World Cup warm-up game against Zambia but did not make the final cut.
Sinead Farrelly also returns to the starting team, with Megan Connolly and Izzy Atkinson dropping to the bench.
A 3-5-2 is expected once more, with McLaughlin joining Kyra Carusa up front and Katie McCabe and Abbie Larkin the wide players.
Amber Barrett is again absent from the matchday squad, with Gleeson citing “football decisions” on Friday. Megan Campbell and Claire O’Riordan join Barrett in the stands, with Heather Payne and Lucy Quinn restored to the 23.
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Diane Caldwell, Louise Quinn, Caitlin Hayes; Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan, Sinead Farrelly, Tyler Toland, Abbie Larkin; Erin McLaughlin, Kyra Carusa.
TEAM NEWS:
Albania, meanwhile, have made two changes, with twin playmakers Megi Doci and Qendresa Krasniqi among their star players.
ALBANIA: Viona Rexhepi; Lucie Gjini, Sara Maliqi, Gresa Berish, Alma Hila; Qendresa Krasniqi, Ezmiralda Franja, Mimoza Hamidi; Megi Doci, Kristina Maksuti, Armela Tukaj.
The teams are out on the pitch in the Loro Borici Stadium — agus anois, Amhrán na bhFiann.
A reminder of the other game in Group B1 tonight, with Northern Ireland hosting Hungary in Belfast tonight. If Ireland win and that game finishes in a draw, Ireland will be guaranteed to top the group and secure promotion.
KICK OFF: Referee Araksya Saribekya of Armenia gets us underway.
1 mins – Neat link-up between Franja and Maksuti as Albania look to string together the game’s first attack but Franja’s speculative cross towards the back post is cut out.
3 mins – Again, it’s Albania who show good intent and pick Ireland open with a few quick passes. Hamidi shows well in support, but her pass is cut out by Denise O’Sullivan who drives out from the back with it.
6 mins – Ireland’s first half-chance as Katie McCabe links with Sinéad Farrelly, who can’t quite the ball out from underneath her feet. She rolls it back to McCabe to cross, and it falls to Carusa who can’t get a clean contact on it.
11 mins – There’s been very little in the way of clear chances for either side, with Albania keeping a compact shape. O’Sullivan plays a one-two with Farrelly on the edge of the box, but as she goes to get the return ball, she looses her footing and it rolls harmlessly through.
13 mins – McCabe tries her luck from distance. It’s not her best effort, and not on target, but it takes a deflection and goes behind for a corner.
16 mins – It is absolutely bucketing down in Shkoder now, as Abbie Larkin wins another Irish corner.
17 mins – A real goalmouth scramble in front of the Albanian goal, and somehow they keep Ireland at bay. McCabe’s corner drops on the edge of the six yard box, Hayes heads it goalwards, and O’Sullivan’s shot is somehow stopped short of the line. The danger is only cleared as far as Quinn on the edge of the box, but she scuffs her shot.
22 mins – This rain has to be seen to be believed…
23 mins – Tyler Toland tries to pick out McCabe on the left with a searching ball, but it’s overdone. Ireland are struggling to find any sort of rhythm here at the moment.
24 mins – O’Sullivan gets another snapshot away on the turn, but there are plenty of red jerseys shielding Rexhepi’s goal, and it clips one and goes behind for a corner. Farrelly takes again from the left but it comes to nothing.
26 mins – Larkin fizzes in a cross from the right but it’s scrambled clear again.
29 mins – O’Sullivan gets up in between Hila and Franja and has a free header. She opts for placement, rather than power, and guides it right and wide. She’ll know she should have done better there.
32 mins – Without being alarmist, if this rain continues for much longer, the game could be in real jeopardy. The ball is now starting to hold up in patches of water on the increasingly waterlogged pitch.
35 mins – McCabe clips Doci as she tries to skip away from her in midfield and gets a talking to from the referee.
36 mins – A half-chance for Albania as Ireland switch off at the back and it takes a combination of Caldwell and Hayes to snuff out the danger. Corner for Albania.
39 mins – Carusa tries to attack down the left but the ball gets stuck in a puddle and she leaves it behind her. It’s very hard to see how the game can continue with the pitch in this condition.
41 mins – Maksuti stretches to try to flick the ball goalwards but she can’t get clean contact on it and Louise Quinn is there to clear.
HALF TIME: Albania 0-0 Republic of Ireland
Referee Araksya Saribekya mercifully blows up on the stroke of 45 minutes — and it’s not a moment too soon.
You’d imagine there’ll be some very serious conversations during the break about whether or not this game can continue.
There’s very little in the way of real chances to report on there — but, it must be said, the conditions for the 15 minutes of the half weren’t conducive to any sort of football being played by either side.
Before that, Albania will have been reasonably happy with how they managed to limit Ireland to little more than half-chances.
Back in five.
Here’s a look at the conditions:
It's 0-0 at half-time between Ireland and Albania in Shkoder with conditions increasingly difficult for both sets of players amid a continuing downpour #COYGIG #ALBIRL #IRLWNT
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 31, 2023
📱 Updates - https://t.co/krrOLSWsD0
📺 Watch live - https://t.co/JYf06csaIG pic.twitter.com/fsJHAUyX54
There’s no sign of the teams coming back out onto the pitch for the second half.
RTÉ’s Dave Kelly is now reporting that the game will be suspended for an hour, and if the game cannot be completed at that point, the second half will be played tomorrow.
𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) October 31, 2023
The referee has decided to suspend play for 60 minutes due to the weather conditions.
A decision will then be made whether the game can be resumed. pic.twitter.com/A6ONhvFPAC
Update: According to RTÉ’s Dave Kelly on the SixOne news, the game may restart at 8pm Irish time. More definite news should arrive in the next 20 minutes or so.
𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲:
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) October 31, 2023
The referee has decided that the game will continue.
Should conditions worsen, the referee will inform both teams as to what the next course of action will be. pic.twitter.com/SXkHhUTrzp
The players are reportedly back out on the pitch warming up, and TV coverage of the second half will be on the RTÉ News Channel.
We’re back!
Two Ireland changes at the break: Jamie Finn replaces Sinead Farrelly, and Heather Payne is on in place of Erin McLaughlin.
54 mins – Ireland win a free in an advanced position on the left. McCabe sends it towards the back post, O’Sullivan steers it back across goal, but Louise Quinn’s shot is off target.
55 mins – The playing surface is a million miles better than it was at the end of the first half, it must be said.
56 mins – Abbie Larkin has switched sides to the left wing. She cuts back inside and tries her look but it’s a tame enough effort and easily dealt with by Rexhepi in the Albanian goal.
59 mins – Doci takes a free quickly down the line, but Payne stands up Krasniqi as she tries to drive into the box. Corner for Albania, but Toland heads clear.
62 mins – Tyler Toland has a go from all of 25 yards out but it’s never on target.
62 mins – Half a chance for Carusa as McCabe lifts one towards the back post, but it won’t sit quickly enough and she can only hook it into Rexhepi’s hands.
63 mins — Ireland substitution: Izzy Atkinson comes on to replace Abbie Larkin.
65 mins – Free kick for Ireland in a very dangerous position — dead centre, about 25 yards out — as Carusa goes to ground under the challenge from Hila. McCabe, O’Sullivan and Finn are all standing over it…
66 mins – It’s McCabe… and it’s straight into the wall.
67 mins – A break in play here to allow Franja, the Albanian midfielder, to receive some treatment.
68 mins – McCabe drifts out to the right, collects the ball from a throw-in, and curls the ball to the back post. It’s too high for Carusa. Ireland still aren’t carving out clear-cut opportunities.
69 mins – Lively from Izzy Atkinson who runs at Gjergi and is fouled just outside the box. Albania’s substitute picks up a yellow card for her troubles. Good chance here…
70 mins – The ball just won’t break for Ireland. From the free-kick, it falls to Heather Payne who has a chance to shoot, but she tries to tee up McCabe instead, and it’s cut out before Ireland’s captain can get to it.
72 mins – Better from Ireland. Finn opens the play and finds Toland on the wing, she plays a low cross towards the front post, and at the second time of asking, O’Sullivan gets her shot away. It’s straight at Redxepi though, and the goalkeeper gets her body behind it to make the save.
74 mins – GLORIOUS CHANCE! Katie McCabe really should score here. Izzy Atkinson’s cross to the back post finds the Ireland skipper unmarked ahead of Maliqi, four yards out, with the goal at her mercy. But McCabe gets underneath it and heads it well over the bar. That’s a bad miss.
75 mins – Much better pressure from Ireland now as they try to find a breakthrough. McCabe’s clipped cross invites Carusa to run on to it to try to get a touch, but Rexhepi is brave and punches clear, getting clattered by the Ireland striker in the process. We’ll have a break here while she gets treatment.
77 mins – Back underway, and Ireland are back on the front foot again immediately.
79 mins – Doci takes aim from the edge of the Irish box, but Hayes is covering across and makes the block.
80 mins – Atkinson slips the ball to McCabe on the left, but her cross is disappointing, flashing across the face of the goal without ever really troubling the Albanian defence.
81 mins — WHAT A SAVE! Magnificent stop by Rexhepi to keep Ireland at bay. Heather Payne swings over a superb, inviting cross from the right, and Denise O’Sullivan looks to head Ireland into the lead. The header is a good one, but Rexhepi sticks out a leg instinctively to make a fine save.
85 mins – Ireland corner. McCabe hangs it up towards the back post, where Caitlin Hayes is waiting for it, but she can’t trouble Rexhepi.
87 mins – Ireland are peppering Albania now with a series of corners, but Albania hold firm.
88 mins — GOAL! Albania 0-1 Republic of Ireland (O’Sullivan, 88′)
Ireland get their goal — and that’s surely the matchwinner! Denise O’Sullivan has been one of those at the heart of trying to make things happen tonight, and she finally gets the breakthrough. Atkinson zips in a deep cross from the right and O’Sullivan’s first touch to take the pace off it is brilliant. She lays it off to Carusa, and then peels away to the middle of the goal to await the return. Carusa upholds her part of the bargain, and O’Sullivan finally finds a way past Rexhepi. Ireland lead!
90 mins – We’ll have five additional minutes here.
90+1 mins – Katie McCabe lines up a trademark banger, and it takes a fine save from Rexhepi to stop her, the Albanian keeper tipping the ball over the bar. McCabe is no hurry to take this corner…
90+2 mins – Another Irish corner, this one from the other side of the pitch, and Katie McCabe ambles towards it. It’s been a long night, and every second counts.
90+4 mins – About 90 seconds still to play here, and it’s all being played deep in the Albanian half at the moment.
FULL TIME: Albania 0-1 Republic of Ireland
It was a long night — this game started at 5pm Irish time — and it wasn’t especially pretty for large parts of it, but in the end, Ireland got what they came for: three points, and four wins from four in the Nations League.
A reminder that a draw in Belfast tonight would see Ireland confirmed as group winners, and with that, promotion to League A with two games to spare.
Dora Zeller has just given Hungary a 1-0 lead against Northern Ireland after 56 minutes.
That’s all that we have time here, but stay with us on The 42 across the evening for more reaction and analysis on tonight’s game in Shkoder.
Thanks very much for reading.
