AS THE FINAL whistle sounded, Carla Ward clenched her fist, perhaps in relief.
Her players did too. ‘Job done,’ they will have thought.
It was nowhere near as comfortable as it should have been, but a win is a win. Early goals in each half saw Ireland secure back-to-back victories for the first time under Ward’s watch.
An Amber Barrett penalty and Anna Patten header completed the Greek double in front of 5,879 fans at Tallaght Stadium, though the endgame was a nervy one after Veatriki Sarri pulled one back for the lowly visitors.
Ultimately, Ireland maintained their Nations League promotion push after last month’s Slovenian setback, and this win was significantly achieved without the suspended Katie McCabe.
Ward made two changes from Friday’s 4-0 win Crete: Barrett replaced the injured Kyra Carusa at centre-forward, while Marissa Sheva started in midfield ahead of Ruesha Littlejohn. Denise O’Sullivan captained the side in McCabe’s absence, while Heather Payne was not among the substitutes due to an ‘administrative error,’ as per the FAI.
Greece, 31 places inferior in the world rankings, kept personnel changes to a minimum and set up much deeper this time around.
Barrett fired Ireland to the dream start, the number nine making no mistake from the spot in the ninth minute.
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The penalty decision itself was fortuitous: the menacing Leanne Kiernan was unquestionably hacked down by Athanasia Moraitou, but the challenge appeared to take place outside the area. German referee Franziska Wildfeuer pointed to the spot and, in the absence of VAR, Barrett duly obliged with a brilliant strike into the bottom left-hand corner:
Ireland 1-0 Greece: Amber Barrett gives Ireland the perfect start as she opens the scoring from the penalty spot.
Buoyed by the early goal, Ireland piled on the pressure. Some of their combination play was impressive, with O’Sullivan dictating matters in the middle — partnering Sheva, with Tyler Toland the holder — as the Girls In Green prodded and probed.
They found joy down the flanks, but the end product was lacking. Lucy Quinn blazed over in the 23rd minute after good work from Barrett, Sheva and Kiernan, while Campbell was audibly frustrated to fire straight at the ‘keeper after a promising team move where the hosts switched over and back.
Deputising for McCabe at left-back and from set-pieces, her deliveries were mixed. One corner found Barrett at the back post and after some head tennis, Aoife Mannion — named Player of the Match after a solid display — flashed wide.
Kiernan looped an audacious effort over from distance and Tyler Toland drilled well wide as Ireland’s wastefulness in attack grew. Barrett was a real bright spark. She led the high press, made good runs and got some decent shots off.
Ireland invited any trouble upon themselves, sloppy and playing with fire at the back at times. Jessie Stapleton was one guilty party, but the Sunderland youngster is a joy to watch. Stamatia Ntarzanou’s scuffed effort was Greece’s only half chance of note.
Again, Irish improvements were needed in the second half. They had dominated proceedings, but struggled in the final third as they adjust to a new style and system. While Ward didn’t have McCabe to turn to on this occasion to provide a spark, Emily Murphy replaced Kiernan on the right flank.
Within five minutes, it was 2-0. Campbell moved through the gears with her deliveries, and one from a corner on the right was wonderfully glanced home by Patten for her third international goal. The Irish bench celebrated wildly — the set-piece clearly rehearsed — and wanted more.
Ireland's Anna Patten celebrates scoring. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Campbell’s long throw-ins caused chaos at times, but there was little evidence more would follow. Phone torches lit up by kids around the stadium summed up the non-event the game often drifted into.
Amidst a lull, Greece struck back in the 72nd minute. After Ireland failed to clear their lines, Veatriki Sarri beat her Everton team-mate Courtney Brosnan with a good strike from distance.
Brosnan had been slightly busier in the second period, with Greece carrying more of a counter-attacking threat. Ireland’s blushes were spared shorty after the concession when Ioanna Papatheodorou let fly. The hosts were caught napping, the ‘keeper off her line, but the effort was wide.
Papatheodorou again went close as the game stretched, though Ireland — disjointed amidst an raft of substitutions and taking some wild shots — did enough to avoid a Greek tragedy and make it back-to-back wins.
Slovenia remain the frontrunners in Nations League B Group 2 after beating Türkiye 1-0 in this evening’s other game.
The race for top spot should boil down to the Páirc Uí Chaoimh finale in early June, where Ireland will look to overturn the four-goal deficit from the Slovenia shocker. The group winners secure automatic promotion, with the runners-up facing a play-off.
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Ireland edge Greece to make it back-to-back wins under Carla Ward
Ireland 2
Greece 1
AS THE FINAL whistle sounded, Carla Ward clenched her fist, perhaps in relief.
Her players did too. ‘Job done,’ they will have thought.
It was nowhere near as comfortable as it should have been, but a win is a win. Early goals in each half saw Ireland secure back-to-back victories for the first time under Ward’s watch.
An Amber Barrett penalty and Anna Patten header completed the Greek double in front of 5,879 fans at Tallaght Stadium, though the endgame was a nervy one after Veatriki Sarri pulled one back for the lowly visitors.
Ultimately, Ireland maintained their Nations League promotion push after last month’s Slovenian setback, and this win was significantly achieved without the suspended Katie McCabe.
Ward made two changes from Friday’s 4-0 win Crete: Barrett replaced the injured Kyra Carusa at centre-forward, while Marissa Sheva started in midfield ahead of Ruesha Littlejohn. Denise O’Sullivan captained the side in McCabe’s absence, while Heather Payne was not among the substitutes due to an ‘administrative error,’ as per the FAI.
Greece, 31 places inferior in the world rankings, kept personnel changes to a minimum and set up much deeper this time around.
Barrett fired Ireland to the dream start, the number nine making no mistake from the spot in the ninth minute.
The penalty decision itself was fortuitous: the menacing Leanne Kiernan was unquestionably hacked down by Athanasia Moraitou, but the challenge appeared to take place outside the area. German referee Franziska Wildfeuer pointed to the spot and, in the absence of VAR, Barrett duly obliged with a brilliant strike into the bottom left-hand corner:
Buoyed by the early goal, Ireland piled on the pressure. Some of their combination play was impressive, with O’Sullivan dictating matters in the middle — partnering Sheva, with Tyler Toland the holder — as the Girls In Green prodded and probed.
They found joy down the flanks, but the end product was lacking. Lucy Quinn blazed over in the 23rd minute after good work from Barrett, Sheva and Kiernan, while Campbell was audibly frustrated to fire straight at the ‘keeper after a promising team move where the hosts switched over and back.
Deputising for McCabe at left-back and from set-pieces, her deliveries were mixed. One corner found Barrett at the back post and after some head tennis, Aoife Mannion — named Player of the Match after a solid display — flashed wide.
Kiernan looped an audacious effort over from distance and Tyler Toland drilled well wide as Ireland’s wastefulness in attack grew. Barrett was a real bright spark. She led the high press, made good runs and got some decent shots off.
Ireland invited any trouble upon themselves, sloppy and playing with fire at the back at times. Jessie Stapleton was one guilty party, but the Sunderland youngster is a joy to watch. Stamatia Ntarzanou’s scuffed effort was Greece’s only half chance of note.
Again, Irish improvements were needed in the second half. They had dominated proceedings, but struggled in the final third as they adjust to a new style and system. While Ward didn’t have McCabe to turn to on this occasion to provide a spark, Emily Murphy replaced Kiernan on the right flank.
Within five minutes, it was 2-0. Campbell moved through the gears with her deliveries, and one from a corner on the right was wonderfully glanced home by Patten for her third international goal. The Irish bench celebrated wildly — the set-piece clearly rehearsed — and wanted more.
Campbell’s long throw-ins caused chaos at times, but there was little evidence more would follow. Phone torches lit up by kids around the stadium summed up the non-event the game often drifted into.
Amidst a lull, Greece struck back in the 72nd minute. After Ireland failed to clear their lines, Veatriki Sarri beat her Everton team-mate Courtney Brosnan with a good strike from distance.
Brosnan had been slightly busier in the second period, with Greece carrying more of a counter-attacking threat. Ireland’s blushes were spared shorty after the concession when Ioanna Papatheodorou let fly. The hosts were caught napping, the ‘keeper off her line, but the effort was wide.
Papatheodorou again went close as the game stretched, though Ireland — disjointed amidst an raft of substitutions and taking some wild shots — did enough to avoid a Greek tragedy and make it back-to-back wins.
Slovenia remain the frontrunners in Nations League B Group 2 after beating Türkiye 1-0 in this evening’s other game.
The race for top spot should boil down to the Páirc Uí Chaoimh finale in early June, where Ireland will look to overturn the four-goal deficit from the Slovenia shocker. The group winners secure automatic promotion, with the runners-up facing a play-off.
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Aoife Mannion, Jessie Stapleton, Anna Patten, Megan Campbell; Tyler Toland (Ruesha Littlejohn 82); Marissa Sheva (Caitlin Hayes 89), Denise O’Sullivan; Lucy Quinn (Abbie Larkin 82), Amber Barrett (Saoirse Noonan 73), Leanne Kiernan (Emily Murphy HT).
GREECE: Zoi Nasi; Maria Palama (Despoina Chatzinikolaou 84), Eleni Markou, Maria Paterna (Elena Kakambouki HT); Stamatia Ntarzanou (Maria Gkouni 67), Eleni Saich, Veatriki Sarri, Athanasia Moraitou, Maria Mitkou; Ioanna Papatheodorou, Anastasia Spyridonidou (Sofia Kongouli HT).
Referee: Franziska Wildfeuer (Germany).
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