The Irish head coach, meanwhile, wouldn’t be drawn on her own future as her current contract expires.
Wales beat Ireland 2-1 in the decisive second leg at the Aviva Stadium, and 3-2 on aggregate as they won the battle for historic European Championships qualification.
Gleeson first mentioned provocation in her post-match interview with RTÉ and she later elaborated on it in her press conference.
The manager’s “devastating” game reflections were similar, but she offered further insight into the needle between these Celtic cousins. That has been a running theme, on and off the pitch, in recent days.
Gleeson said she felt that the Wales bench went beyond the norm and spoke with the fourth official about it.
She first brought the topic up in response to a question on Katie McCabe playing on the edge — the captain was lucky to avoid a first-half sending-off.
“We were all on the edge,” said Gleeson. “On the edge now. It was a highly-charged game, very emotional and there was a lot of managing emotions.
“There was a lot of provocation along the sideline from the Welsh bench.
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“There were reactions to that as well. It was a team challenge to manage across the night.”
“A lot of shouting at players, aggressive language to our staff,” she elaborated. “It’s incidental now, but we manage it on the pitch and you are managing it on the sidelines.
“It’s difficult for players in the moment, and there was a lot of high risk and reward associated with this game, but, yeah, it was important for us to keep 11 on the pitch, it was important for us to try and keep Katie calm and not to react, and not to bring anything on herself.”
Gleeson said she congratulated the opposition afterwards.
“Yes, we wish Wales all the best.
“I didn’t see Rhian (Wilkinson), she didn’t come near me, I didn’t go near her, I was with my team.”
Wilkinson, meanwhile, admitted she was “not very popular with the Irish staff” as she began her press conference.
The former Canada international played mind games all week, and ultimately led the Dragons to their first-ever major tournament.
Hannah Cain’s penalty — after a controversial VAR decision — and Carrie Jones’ breakaway goal sent them to Switzerland 2025, while Ireland couldn’t add to Anna Patten’s late effort.
“We matched them at their game,” Wilkinson reflected. “Their game is physical and direct.
“It was one of those patchy games with barely any flow, but we matched them and we said that. It doesn’t matter how we win, whether we had to get into the ring with them and have an old-fashioned dust-up or get balls wide and find the second phase. It doesn’t matter. We had to find a way to win.
“I have one player with a missing tooth, I have bloody players… I am not very popular with the Irish staff right now. But in the end, that is what we saw out there, two teams who gave everything and it was a battle because it means so much to their countries.”
Asked if there was a line crossed between the two benches, she responded:
“It was a battle. When it’s very physical on the field, when there’s yellow cards, when you see that play that’s right on the edge, you know the benches have a lot of stress as well and it does boil up every now and then. I think there are always some words occasionally.
“A team has to win and a team had to lose and there’s high emotions but I also think that’s football.
“Huge credit to Eileen and what she’s done with that team. Huge credit to the Irish team, they left nothing out there tonight. Sometimes football is a matter of fate, a matter of a bounce of a ball and that is what it was tonight.”
Gleeson, meanwhile, wouldn’t answer questions on her future, like in the RTÉ TV interview. The Dubliner’s current contract ran until the end of Ireland’s involvement in the Euro 2025 campaign.
“I understand you have an interest in that but I can tell you now, I’m not talking about it tonight, I’m not thinking about it tonight.
“We’ve got a team that’s devastated that we are not going to the Euros and that is really where I’m sitting right now.”
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'Provocation' and 'that's football' - Tension and heartbreak of Euro 2025 play-off final
EILEEN GLEESON HIT out at “provocation” from the Welsh bench after Tuesday night’s play-off final defeat, but wished them well at Euro 2025.
The Irish head coach, meanwhile, wouldn’t be drawn on her own future as her current contract expires.
Wales beat Ireland 2-1 in the decisive second leg at the Aviva Stadium, and 3-2 on aggregate as they won the battle for historic European Championships qualification.
Gleeson first mentioned provocation in her post-match interview with RTÉ and she later elaborated on it in her press conference.
The manager’s “devastating” game reflections were similar, but she offered further insight into the needle between these Celtic cousins. That has been a running theme, on and off the pitch, in recent days.
Gleeson said she felt that the Wales bench went beyond the norm and spoke with the fourth official about it.
She first brought the topic up in response to a question on Katie McCabe playing on the edge — the captain was lucky to avoid a first-half sending-off.
“We were all on the edge,” said Gleeson. “On the edge now. It was a highly-charged game, very emotional and there was a lot of managing emotions.
“There was a lot of provocation along the sideline from the Welsh bench.
“There were reactions to that as well. It was a team challenge to manage across the night.”
“A lot of shouting at players, aggressive language to our staff,” she elaborated. “It’s incidental now, but we manage it on the pitch and you are managing it on the sidelines.
“It’s difficult for players in the moment, and there was a lot of high risk and reward associated with this game, but, yeah, it was important for us to keep 11 on the pitch, it was important for us to try and keep Katie calm and not to react, and not to bring anything on herself.”
Gleeson said she congratulated the opposition afterwards.
“Yes, we wish Wales all the best.
“I didn’t see Rhian (Wilkinson), she didn’t come near me, I didn’t go near her, I was with my team.”
Wilkinson, meanwhile, admitted she was “not very popular with the Irish staff” as she began her press conference.
The former Canada international played mind games all week, and ultimately led the Dragons to their first-ever major tournament.
Hannah Cain’s penalty — after a controversial VAR decision — and Carrie Jones’ breakaway goal sent them to Switzerland 2025, while Ireland couldn’t add to Anna Patten’s late effort.
“We matched them at their game,” Wilkinson reflected. “Their game is physical and direct.
“It was one of those patchy games with barely any flow, but we matched them and we said that. It doesn’t matter how we win, whether we had to get into the ring with them and have an old-fashioned dust-up or get balls wide and find the second phase. It doesn’t matter. We had to find a way to win.
“I have one player with a missing tooth, I have bloody players… I am not very popular with the Irish staff right now. But in the end, that is what we saw out there, two teams who gave everything and it was a battle because it means so much to their countries.”
Asked if there was a line crossed between the two benches, she responded:
“It was a battle. When it’s very physical on the field, when there’s yellow cards, when you see that play that’s right on the edge, you know the benches have a lot of stress as well and it does boil up every now and then. I think there are always some words occasionally.
“A team has to win and a team had to lose and there’s high emotions but I also think that’s football.
“Huge credit to Eileen and what she’s done with that team. Huge credit to the Irish team, they left nothing out there tonight. Sometimes football is a matter of fate, a matter of a bounce of a ball and that is what it was tonight.”
Gleeson, meanwhile, wouldn’t answer questions on her future, like in the RTÉ TV interview. The Dubliner’s current contract ran until the end of Ireland’s involvement in the Euro 2025 campaign.
“I understand you have an interest in that but I can tell you now, I’m not talking about it tonight, I’m not thinking about it tonight.
“We’ve got a team that’s devastated that we are not going to the Euros and that is really where I’m sitting right now.”
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