SOME MEMORIES FLOODED back for Katie McCabe after her first goals for Ireland at Aviva Stadium, but the future is firmly in focus.
The Irish skipper marked her 99th cap with her 30th and 31st international goals, but was denied her third hat-trick in green in tonight’s brilliant win over Belgium.
Carla Ward’s side lead their Nations League promotion/relegation playoff 4-2 at the halfway mark.
They weren’t McCabe’s first goals at the Aviva outright, however: she scored a stunning free-kick as a 19-year-old for Raheny United in the 2014 FAI Cup final.
“I’d totally forgotten about it to be honest,” the Arsenal Champions League winner told The 42 afterwards.
“It was a long time ago. People said I didn’t mean that either!
“Look as a kid, I grew up watching Robbie Keane scoring hat-tricks and Damien Duff running down the wing when it was Lansdowne Road. To do it here today was really special.
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“It gives the fans something back in the cold tonight. It was nice to have the family in the stand but the most important thing was winning the game.”
“I’m not worried about the hat-trick at all, as long as it went in that was they key for me,” she added. “Maybe another time!”
Ward, meanwhile, labelled it McCabe’s “best performance in a very long time” as she hailed her skipper at left-wing back.
“She was outstanding. A proper captain’s performance. She led from the very first minute, all the way through and I thought she was outstanding. I think that’s probably Katie’s best performance in a very long time and that’s a credit to her.
“Me and Katie met in the summer and had a really good conversation about her position, where we see her best, and how she feels as well. I think this system really suits her, both offensively and defensively. I think she’s comfortable in this position, she certainly offers us an awful lot going forward, but also defensively as well. You could argue this is probably her best position.”
Ward, meanwhile, said she saw this team display – by far the best of her reign – coming.
“When I first took over, I talked about us wanting to play in a way that maybe I played in club football — that is with the ball and that was gonna be uncomfortable at times. We have to keep trying and persisting. Then remember I said I probably need to be a little bit more Irish without the ball, and continue to play the way that I like to play with the ball?
Carla Ward celebrates after the game with Alan Mahon. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“Having watched Belgium in the summer (at Euro 2025), and looking at what we had available when we selected the team, I could see, certainly from this week, this performance coming. It was weird and it was funny. I just said to the group, there’s been such a calm and such a focus around the building. As we got on the bus today, I just said to a couple of staff, I feel like it’s gonna be a good night and it was, but there’s still work to do.”
“The girls were excellent tonight, but we have to be better,” she continued. “We can’t concede two goals in the manner we did. We’re talking about a top Belgium side that can hurt teams on their day. So, yes, it’s closer than we would have (liked) but listen, if you’d said to me before the game, ‘You’re going to take a 2-0 lead to Belgium,’ I would have snapped your hand off.”
McCabe echoed her manager’s mixed emotions. “Obviously a great result and a great win but still a lot to do come Tuesday. To be honest, I’m disappointed we conceded two sloppy goals in my opinion.”
The Dubliner also spoke about 2025 to date, and the challenge ahead in the second leg in Leuven.
“It was a transition period at the start of the year. We were aware of the noise around the team that we’re not pretty to watch but our full focus on what we’re trying to do. That’s bringing new players in because we spoke about the experience that’s departed the team. We want to add different things to our game and be exciting to watch.
“For me as a captain, I was proud of everybody stepping up to the plate and fighting for every inch and kick of the game. Hopefully this is the start of something really positive for us. It’s just a stepping stone and all still to play for on Tuesday.
“We have to be humble. We have to respect them. 100%, the two goal cushion, it’s a positive, but they’re a very, very strong team with a lot of quality, and playing them over there, which we’ve done in the past before, is not an easy thing.”
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'I grew up watching Robbie Keane scoring hat-tricks when it was Lansdowne Road'
SOME MEMORIES FLOODED back for Katie McCabe after her first goals for Ireland at Aviva Stadium, but the future is firmly in focus.
The Irish skipper marked her 99th cap with her 30th and 31st international goals, but was denied her third hat-trick in green in tonight’s brilliant win over Belgium.
Carla Ward’s side lead their Nations League promotion/relegation playoff 4-2 at the halfway mark.
They weren’t McCabe’s first goals at the Aviva outright, however: she scored a stunning free-kick as a 19-year-old for Raheny United in the 2014 FAI Cup final.
“I’d totally forgotten about it to be honest,” the Arsenal Champions League winner told The 42 afterwards.
“It was a long time ago. People said I didn’t mean that either!
“Look as a kid, I grew up watching Robbie Keane scoring hat-tricks and Damien Duff running down the wing when it was Lansdowne Road. To do it here today was really special.
“It gives the fans something back in the cold tonight. It was nice to have the family in the stand but the most important thing was winning the game.”
“I’m not worried about the hat-trick at all, as long as it went in that was they key for me,” she added. “Maybe another time!”
Ward, meanwhile, labelled it McCabe’s “best performance in a very long time” as she hailed her skipper at left-wing back.
“She was outstanding. A proper captain’s performance. She led from the very first minute, all the way through and I thought she was outstanding. I think that’s probably Katie’s best performance in a very long time and that’s a credit to her.
“Me and Katie met in the summer and had a really good conversation about her position, where we see her best, and how she feels as well. I think this system really suits her, both offensively and defensively. I think she’s comfortable in this position, she certainly offers us an awful lot going forward, but also defensively as well. You could argue this is probably her best position.”
Ward, meanwhile, said she saw this team display – by far the best of her reign – coming.
“When I first took over, I talked about us wanting to play in a way that maybe I played in club football — that is with the ball and that was gonna be uncomfortable at times. We have to keep trying and persisting. Then remember I said I probably need to be a little bit more Irish without the ball, and continue to play the way that I like to play with the ball?
“Having watched Belgium in the summer (at Euro 2025), and looking at what we had available when we selected the team, I could see, certainly from this week, this performance coming. It was weird and it was funny. I just said to the group, there’s been such a calm and such a focus around the building. As we got on the bus today, I just said to a couple of staff, I feel like it’s gonna be a good night and it was, but there’s still work to do.”
“The girls were excellent tonight, but we have to be better,” she continued. “We can’t concede two goals in the manner we did. We’re talking about a top Belgium side that can hurt teams on their day. So, yes, it’s closer than we would have (liked) but listen, if you’d said to me before the game, ‘You’re going to take a 2-0 lead to Belgium,’ I would have snapped your hand off.”
McCabe echoed her manager’s mixed emotions. “Obviously a great result and a great win but still a lot to do come Tuesday. To be honest, I’m disappointed we conceded two sloppy goals in my opinion.”
The Dubliner also spoke about 2025 to date, and the challenge ahead in the second leg in Leuven.
“It was a transition period at the start of the year. We were aware of the noise around the team that we’re not pretty to watch but our full focus on what we’re trying to do. That’s bringing new players in because we spoke about the experience that’s departed the team. We want to add different things to our game and be exciting to watch.
“For me as a captain, I was proud of everybody stepping up to the plate and fighting for every inch and kick of the game. Hopefully this is the start of something really positive for us. It’s just a stepping stone and all still to play for on Tuesday.
“We have to be humble. We have to respect them. 100%, the two goal cushion, it’s a positive, but they’re a very, very strong team with a lot of quality, and playing them over there, which we’ve done in the past before, is not an easy thing.”
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