A ROLLERCOASTER ON a dire pitch in Gdańsk ended in a massive World Cup qualifying boost for Ireland.
Emily Murphy, Katie McCabe and Marissa Sheva scored the goals as the Girls In Green secured a huge away victory and picked up their first points in this group.
A win moves Carla Ward’s side off the bottom after back to back 2-1 defeats to France and Netherlands – and gives them the edge over closest rivals Poland, who they face again at Aviva Stadium on Saturday. With a play-off guaranteed owing to their League A status, both sides are targetting third place – at least – which offers a more favourable route to Brazil 2027.
Ireland didn’t do it the easy way, but they got the job done. And deservedly so. They twice held two-goal leads in an impressive performance, but were reeled back in by Ewa Pajor and co, while McCabe missed a penalty late on which would have made it 4-2.
But ultimately, they leave Gdańsk Stadium with happy memories, in sharp contrast with Giovanni Trapattoni’s men who lost 4-0 to Spain there at Euro 2012.
Ward made two changes as she continued with a 5-3-2 system: Denise O’Sullivan returned to win her 130th cap and Abbie Larkin made her first start of the campaign. Lucy Quinn dropped to the bench, while Kyra Carusa was absent from the matchday squad after picking up a bug overnight.
Emily Murphy won a third consecutive POTM award. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The pitch was in extremely poor condition, the surface appearing bumpy and sandy. In her pre-match interview with RTÉ, Caitlin Hayes said it “caused problems” in training on Monday, and the same applied here with the ball bobbling and players losing their footing throughout.
But Ireland got to grips quickest and enjoyed a dream start, leading 2-0 by the 20th minute.
Larkin signalled their intent with the first chance inside 90 seconds, but the Crystal Palace star couldn’t keep her close-range toe-poke down. Sheva was next to try her luck – although well off target, as the visitors grew in confidence and quickly got on top.
They made their early dominance show on the scoreboard as Murphy broke the deadlock in the 12th minute. The in-form Newcastle United striker bagged her second international goal in her third successive Player of the Match performance, despite Poland’s West Ham goalkeeper Kinga Szemik getting a hand to it.
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McCabe and O’Sullivan – with hands and knees strapped – shook off being repeatedly targetted to combine to good effect in the left-hand corner, with Sheva also involved, before Murphy superbly shimmied and struck home near-post.
Eight minutes later, McCabe let fly for a typically stunning goal – her third in three games and 34th in 104 caps.
After Poland failed to clear Megan Connolly’s corner, the Irish captain caught the ball beautifully on the volley from the edge of the box where she was curiously left unmarked. She wheeled away, arms outstretched, with Ireland in dreamland.
Poland needed to awake from their own slumber – Murphy threatening a nightmare when she headed over from Anna Patten’s arrowed delivery – and slowly but surely, they did. Barcelona goal machine Pajor began to move through the gears, first cut out by Courtney Brosnan and then blocked down by Patten.
She was left frustrated when Ewelina Kamczyk went herself and skewed well off target after Chloe Mustaki was dispossessed. The AC Milan midfielder then shot across the face of goal, the warning signs mounting as the Poles looked to assume some control. And Brosnan breathed a sigh of relief when Pajor couldn’t capitalise on her mishit kick-out.
But just before half-time – the 43rd minute to be precise – she was picking the ball out of her net after Ireland conceded yet another goal from a set-piece. The concession of the corner may be viewed as unnecessary, but Tanja Pawollek’s powerful glancing header was brilliant after it was only half-cleared to the lively Paulina Tomasiak.
Game on in Gdańsk, tensions boiling over as O’Sullivan and Natalia Padilla-Bidas were both booked after a flashpoint.
After regrouping at half-time, Ireland looked to wrestle back some momentum on the restart, but it turned frantic and fraught. After half-chances at either end, another moment of class settled them when Sheva made it 3-1 just before the hour-mark.
Having been penned in the corner by O’Sullivan, Pawollek misplaced a pass to the industrious Aoife Mannion, who found Murphy, and the opening goalscorer dragged back to Sheva in acres of space on the edge of the box.
First touch with the left, second to unleash with the right; another rocket to restore the two-goal lead.
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Ireland regained control, and played some brilliant football thereafter, with the magnificent O’Sullivan and McCabe leading the charge.
But out of nowhere, Poland’s own generational talent pounced in the 78th minute.
Pajor latched onto a Kamczyk ball over top, and with the Irish defence napping and Brosnan at sea, the Barca superstar scored her third goal in three games with an inch-perfect, deft chip.
What felt like seconds later, referee Hristiyana Guteva pointed to the spot at the other end, adjudging PSG’s Paulina Dudek to have fouled Murphy and awarding a penalty.
McCabe stepped up with a chance to all but end the game, but blazed her effort over the bar.
Poland heaped on the pressure through a nervy endgame, but Ireland held onto their precarious lead to secure a crucial result.
Half-time in this double-header, attention now turns to the Aviva on Saturday.
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Ireland beat Poland in Gdańsk rollercoaster for big World Cup qualifying boost
Poland 2
Republic of Ireland 3
A ROLLERCOASTER ON a dire pitch in Gdańsk ended in a massive World Cup qualifying boost for Ireland.
Emily Murphy, Katie McCabe and Marissa Sheva scored the goals as the Girls In Green secured a huge away victory and picked up their first points in this group.
A win moves Carla Ward’s side off the bottom after back to back 2-1 defeats to France and Netherlands – and gives them the edge over closest rivals Poland, who they face again at Aviva Stadium on Saturday. With a play-off guaranteed owing to their League A status, both sides are targetting third place – at least – which offers a more favourable route to Brazil 2027.
Ireland didn’t do it the easy way, but they got the job done. And deservedly so. They twice held two-goal leads in an impressive performance, but were reeled back in by Ewa Pajor and co, while McCabe missed a penalty late on which would have made it 4-2.
But ultimately, they leave Gdańsk Stadium with happy memories, in sharp contrast with Giovanni Trapattoni’s men who lost 4-0 to Spain there at Euro 2012.
Ward made two changes as she continued with a 5-3-2 system: Denise O’Sullivan returned to win her 130th cap and Abbie Larkin made her first start of the campaign. Lucy Quinn dropped to the bench, while Kyra Carusa was absent from the matchday squad after picking up a bug overnight.
The pitch was in extremely poor condition, the surface appearing bumpy and sandy. In her pre-match interview with RTÉ, Caitlin Hayes said it “caused problems” in training on Monday, and the same applied here with the ball bobbling and players losing their footing throughout.
But Ireland got to grips quickest and enjoyed a dream start, leading 2-0 by the 20th minute.
Larkin signalled their intent with the first chance inside 90 seconds, but the Crystal Palace star couldn’t keep her close-range toe-poke down. Sheva was next to try her luck – although well off target, as the visitors grew in confidence and quickly got on top.
They made their early dominance show on the scoreboard as Murphy broke the deadlock in the 12th minute. The in-form Newcastle United striker bagged her second international goal in her third successive Player of the Match performance, despite Poland’s West Ham goalkeeper Kinga Szemik getting a hand to it.
McCabe and O’Sullivan – with hands and knees strapped – shook off being repeatedly targetted to combine to good effect in the left-hand corner, with Sheva also involved, before Murphy superbly shimmied and struck home near-post.
Eight minutes later, McCabe let fly for a typically stunning goal – her third in three games and 34th in 104 caps.
After Poland failed to clear Megan Connolly’s corner, the Irish captain caught the ball beautifully on the volley from the edge of the box where she was curiously left unmarked. She wheeled away, arms outstretched, with Ireland in dreamland.
Poland needed to awake from their own slumber – Murphy threatening a nightmare when she headed over from Anna Patten’s arrowed delivery – and slowly but surely, they did. Barcelona goal machine Pajor began to move through the gears, first cut out by Courtney Brosnan and then blocked down by Patten.
She was left frustrated when Ewelina Kamczyk went herself and skewed well off target after Chloe Mustaki was dispossessed. The AC Milan midfielder then shot across the face of goal, the warning signs mounting as the Poles looked to assume some control. And Brosnan breathed a sigh of relief when Pajor couldn’t capitalise on her mishit kick-out.
But just before half-time – the 43rd minute to be precise – she was picking the ball out of her net after Ireland conceded yet another goal from a set-piece. The concession of the corner may be viewed as unnecessary, but Tanja Pawollek’s powerful glancing header was brilliant after it was only half-cleared to the lively Paulina Tomasiak.
Game on in Gdańsk, tensions boiling over as O’Sullivan and Natalia Padilla-Bidas were both booked after a flashpoint.
After regrouping at half-time, Ireland looked to wrestle back some momentum on the restart, but it turned frantic and fraught. After half-chances at either end, another moment of class settled them when Sheva made it 3-1 just before the hour-mark.
Having been penned in the corner by O’Sullivan, Pawollek misplaced a pass to the industrious Aoife Mannion, who found Murphy, and the opening goalscorer dragged back to Sheva in acres of space on the edge of the box.
First touch with the left, second to unleash with the right; another rocket to restore the two-goal lead.
Ireland regained control, and played some brilliant football thereafter, with the magnificent O’Sullivan and McCabe leading the charge.
But out of nowhere, Poland’s own generational talent pounced in the 78th minute.
Pajor latched onto a Kamczyk ball over top, and with the Irish defence napping and Brosnan at sea, the Barca superstar scored her third goal in three games with an inch-perfect, deft chip.
What felt like seconds later, referee Hristiyana Guteva pointed to the spot at the other end, adjudging PSG’s Paulina Dudek to have fouled Murphy and awarding a penalty.
McCabe stepped up with a chance to all but end the game, but blazed her effort over the bar.
Poland heaped on the pressure through a nervy endgame, but Ireland held onto their precarious lead to secure a crucial result.
Half-time in this double-header, attention now turns to the Aviva on Saturday.
POLAND: Kinga Szemik; Aleksandra Zaremba, Paulina Dudek, Oliwia Woś, Martyna Wiankowska (Wiktoria Zieniewicz 69); Adriana Achcińska (Milena Kokosz 86), Ewelina Kamczyk, Tanja Pawollek (Gabriela Gryzbowska 66); Paulina Tomasiak, Ewa Pajor, Natalia Padilla-Bidas (Patrycja Sarapata 66).
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Aoife Mannion, Anna Patten, Caitlin Hayes, Chloe Mustaki, Katie McCabe; Megan Connolly, Denise O’Sullivan, Marissa Sheva (Jess Ziu 87); Abbie Larkin (Amber Barrett 69); Emily Murphy.
Referee: Hristiyana Guteva (Bulgaria).
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