IRELAND PUT KAZAKHSTAN to the sword with eight goals as they effectively won their World Cup play-off semi-final in the first leg at Astana Arena.
Tuesday’s return tie at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh is but a formality as Carla Ward’s side can start planning for Belgium or Poland in their bid to reach back-to-back World Cup finals
The Girls in Green had seven different goalscorers – with five headers on the board – in a ruthless and professional performance against the 10-woman minnows, half the world away in Central Asia.
Debutant Shanade Hopcroft, Jamie Finn – making her first start under Ward – and Chloe Mustaki scored their first international goals, while Kyra Carusa (two), Abbie Larkin, Emily Murphy and Jessie Stapleton were also on target.
Without Katie McCabe, Marissa Sheva (both suspended), Denise O’Sullivan (rested) and Jess Ziu (injured) – among others – opportunities were roundly taken in Astana.
Mustaki was named Player of the Match as she filled the void left by McCabe at left-wing back with a goal and three assists, Larkin was similarly creative, while Courtney Brosnan wore the armband on a day she hardly touched the ball.
The gulf in class was evident from start to finish against the League C part-timers: Kazakhstan are ranked 98th in the world, 77 places below Ireland. The stats alone tell the tale: the Girls In Green had 34 attempts – 16 on target – compared to the Kazakhs’ one at the very death. They will feel aggrieved by a red card for captain Yulia Myasnikova just after the half-hour mark, but they never raised a gallop.
Ireland players celebrate a goal by Chloe Mustaki. Inpho
Inpho
Ireland’s record victory of 11-0 against Georgia in 2021 remains, but it was certainly under threat here. It took them less than seven minutes to break the deadlock. In-form Carusa opened the rout with a looping header from a Mustaki delivery from deep, after Megan Connolly’s free-kick was only half cleared.
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Larkin really should have struck the first blow three minutes earlier, but headed over, as Ireland assumed complete control from the off and Kazakhstan sat in the lowest of low blocks. The visitors pressed high and piled on the pressure in total one-way traffic. They moved the ball quickly and knitted together some brilliant passages of play, and doubled their lead on 16 minutes.
Mustaki went from provider to scorer with her first international goal on her 20th cap, thumping home after Larkin’s initial shot was saved and Murphy’s follow-up cannoned off the post.
Chloe Mustaki has her first senior Republic of Ireland goal and Carla Ward's side are in cruise control in Astana.
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The green waves kept coming, with chance after chance, and it was 3-0 by the 28th minute after Carusa’s second header. It was Mustaki again with a brilliant delivery, as Nazym Ismailova’s goalkeeping came into further question.
Things went from bad to worse for Kazakhstan shortly after the half-hour mark, when Myasnikova saw her yellow card for a pull-down on Larkin harshly upgraded to red by VAR. She will miss Tuesday’s return tie.
Kazakhstan down to 10 players as captain Yulia Myasnikova is sent off after what appears to be a harsh VAR intervention. https://t.co/V8lUziSn5T
A change of goalkeeper quickly followed when Ismailova went down injured, but the onslaught continued with Angelina Portnova between the posts. As half-time approached, the beleaguered hosts had a temporary reprieve with a rare foray into the Irish half, but Stapleton – making a rare start – snuffed out any slight sense of danger.
Normal service resumed when Murphy made it four in the 44th minute, turning home a rebound when Larkin’s initial shot was saved — and she hit the net herself in injury time after Mustaki volleyed Aoife Mannion’s deep cross back across the box and Larkin applied the finishing touch.
Ireland’s decreasing celebrations as the goals flowed spoke volumes, with Kazakhstan completely and utterly deflated. Ward made a triple substitution at the break, with Amber Barrett, Leanne Kiernan and Tyler Toland afforded opportunities. Barrett strung some chances together, but Kazakhstan kept them at bay until just before the hour mark.
Finn got in on the act in the 58th minute, opening her international account on her first start since 2023 with yet another header after Mannion’s latest impressive cross.
Jamie Finn marks her belated return to the Ireland starting line-up with the away side's sixth goal - and it's yet another header.
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Shanade Hopcroft: Who is Ireland's new Crystal Palace call-up?
'That fighting Irish spirit doesn't go away just because we're not the underdogs'
Former Ireland international Áine O’Gorman likened it to “a game of backs and forwards” on RTÉ commentary, with effectively all the action in the Kazakhstan half.
Ward continued to ring the changes with Hopcroft and Hayley Nolan sprung from the bench. Three minutes after her arrival, debutant Hopcroft pounced for her first international goal, meeting Crystal Palace teammate Larkin’s fizzed cross at the front post and guiding home.
And Stapleton rounded out the scoring with her third goal on her 22nd cap, as attention turns to the second leg in Cork on Tuesday.
Complete the job there, and it’s onwards to Belgium or Poland on 1 and 5 December as the back-to-back World Cup dream continues. Ward and co. can relax on the long journey home from Astana, keeping one eye on Leuven on Friday night.
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Ireland put Kazakhstan to the sword with EIGHT goals in World Cup play-off semi-final
Kazakhstan 0
Republic of Ireland 8
IRELAND PUT KAZAKHSTAN to the sword with eight goals as they effectively won their World Cup play-off semi-final in the first leg at Astana Arena.
Tuesday’s return tie at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh is but a formality as Carla Ward’s side can start planning for Belgium or Poland in their bid to reach back-to-back World Cup finals
The Girls in Green had seven different goalscorers – with five headers on the board – in a ruthless and professional performance against the 10-woman minnows, half the world away in Central Asia.
Debutant Shanade Hopcroft, Jamie Finn – making her first start under Ward – and Chloe Mustaki scored their first international goals, while Kyra Carusa (two), Abbie Larkin, Emily Murphy and Jessie Stapleton were also on target.
Without Katie McCabe, Marissa Sheva (both suspended), Denise O’Sullivan (rested) and Jess Ziu (injured) – among others – opportunities were roundly taken in Astana.
Mustaki was named Player of the Match as she filled the void left by McCabe at left-wing back with a goal and three assists, Larkin was similarly creative, while Courtney Brosnan wore the armband on a day she hardly touched the ball.
The gulf in class was evident from start to finish against the League C part-timers: Kazakhstan are ranked 98th in the world, 77 places below Ireland. The stats alone tell the tale: the Girls In Green had 34 attempts – 16 on target – compared to the Kazakhs’ one at the very death. They will feel aggrieved by a red card for captain Yulia Myasnikova just after the half-hour mark, but they never raised a gallop.
Ireland’s record victory of 11-0 against Georgia in 2021 remains, but it was certainly under threat here. It took them less than seven minutes to break the deadlock. In-form Carusa opened the rout with a looping header from a Mustaki delivery from deep, after Megan Connolly’s free-kick was only half cleared.
Larkin really should have struck the first blow three minutes earlier, but headed over, as Ireland assumed complete control from the off and Kazakhstan sat in the lowest of low blocks. The visitors pressed high and piled on the pressure in total one-way traffic. They moved the ball quickly and knitted together some brilliant passages of play, and doubled their lead on 16 minutes.
Mustaki went from provider to scorer with her first international goal on her 20th cap, thumping home after Larkin’s initial shot was saved and Murphy’s follow-up cannoned off the post.
The green waves kept coming, with chance after chance, and it was 3-0 by the 28th minute after Carusa’s second header. It was Mustaki again with a brilliant delivery, as Nazym Ismailova’s goalkeeping came into further question.
Things went from bad to worse for Kazakhstan shortly after the half-hour mark, when Myasnikova saw her yellow card for a pull-down on Larkin harshly upgraded to red by VAR. She will miss Tuesday’s return tie.
A change of goalkeeper quickly followed when Ismailova went down injured, but the onslaught continued with Angelina Portnova between the posts. As half-time approached, the beleaguered hosts had a temporary reprieve with a rare foray into the Irish half, but Stapleton – making a rare start – snuffed out any slight sense of danger.
Normal service resumed when Murphy made it four in the 44th minute, turning home a rebound when Larkin’s initial shot was saved — and she hit the net herself in injury time after Mustaki volleyed Aoife Mannion’s deep cross back across the box and Larkin applied the finishing touch.
Ireland’s decreasing celebrations as the goals flowed spoke volumes, with Kazakhstan completely and utterly deflated. Ward made a triple substitution at the break, with Amber Barrett, Leanne Kiernan and Tyler Toland afforded opportunities. Barrett strung some chances together, but Kazakhstan kept them at bay until just before the hour mark.
Finn got in on the act in the 58th minute, opening her international account on her first start since 2023 with yet another header after Mannion’s latest impressive cross.
Former Ireland international Áine O’Gorman likened it to “a game of backs and forwards” on RTÉ commentary, with effectively all the action in the Kazakhstan half.
Ward continued to ring the changes with Hopcroft and Hayley Nolan sprung from the bench. Three minutes after her arrival, debutant Hopcroft pounced for her first international goal, meeting Crystal Palace teammate Larkin’s fizzed cross at the front post and guiding home.
And Stapleton rounded out the scoring with her third goal on her 22nd cap, as attention turns to the second leg in Cork on Tuesday.
Complete the job there, and it’s onwards to Belgium or Poland on 1 and 5 December as the back-to-back World Cup dream continues. Ward and co. can relax on the long journey home from Astana, keeping one eye on Leuven on Friday night.
Kazakhstan: Nazym Ismailova (Angelina Portnova 39); Alexandra Burova, Yulia Myasnikova (captain), Bibigul Nurusheva, Anastassiya Vlassova; Yekaterina Babshuk, Anastassiya Nizamutdinova (Kazyna Norbayeva 62), Karina Zhumabaikyzy (Valeriya Popova 75); Aida Gaistenova, Amina Bibossynova, Asselkhan Turlybekova (Leila Sadykova 75)
Ireland: Courtney Brosnan (captain); Aoife Mannion, Caitlin Hayes (Shanade Hopcrodt 70), Anna Patten (Hayley Nolan 70), Jessie Stapleton, Chloe Mustaki; Megan Connolly (Tyler Toland HT), Jamie Finn, Abbie Larkin; Emily Murphy (Leanne Kiernan HT), Kyra Carusa (Amber Barrett HT).
Referee: Karoline Marie Jensen (Norway).
*****
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