NOTHING HUGELY NEW can be gleaned from Ireland’s World Cup play-off semi-final demolition job against Kazakhstan.
Carla Ward’s side romped to a 12-0 aggregate win – 8-0 in Astana, 4-0 in Cork – against the minnows to move within two games of their second consecutive World Cup.
Far from an acid test, but confidence will be high as they face familiar foes Poland on 1 and 5 December – with the second game at Aviva Stadium – for a ticket to next summer’s bonanza in Brazil.
Poland came through a very different challenge, stunning Belgium after a penalty shootout. They are riding the crest of a wave as they dream of qualifying for a first-ever major tournament, with huge momentum behind them.
While there are mixed views about Ireland’s preparation against lowly opposition, it’s undeniable that confidence will be brimming after their goal rush. The slate will be wiped clean in six weeks’ time, with both sides starting from zero, but Ireland will tap into that feel-good factor.
There were 10 different goalscorers in the Kazakhstan double-header. Kyra Carusa, Jessie Stapleton (two each), Chloe Mustaki, Abbie Larkin, Emily Murphy, Jamie Finn, Shanade Hopcroft, Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan and Lucy Quinn all hit the back of the net.
The front three of Carusa, Larkin and Murphy ran riot in Astana, with the latter pair again combining in Cork. Goals came from all over, but the attack certainly fired.
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“It is huge and it does give them confidence,” said Ward.
“We had to consider that with this second game. Maybe a lot of people thought we might have rung the changes but actually, we have to prepare and get confidence in all the combinations and all the rest of it with the next camp in mind.
“The one thing we set out to do is be better every camp and improve all the time, and I think we’ve done that. I think we’ll continue to do that.”
Attack
Ireland’s attack was naturally in sharper focus against Kazakhstan, underlining its evolution through the years. Both under Ward and her predecessors.
Before Kyra Carusa was deployed as a focal point in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup, Heather Payne – back in the squad as a full-back but unused here – ploughed a lonely furrow up top.
In time, it became a front two, with a three more common in Ward’s reign. Emily Murphy and Abbie Larkin have really stepped up, the young duo among those to make huge strides under the former Aston Villa manager with the attack notably bolstered.
The reliance on McCabe and O’Sullivan has lessened significantly, both on and off the scoresheet. Carusa has joined them on double figures, while Murphy and Larkin have been scoring and assisting more regularly.
Katie McCabe celebrates her goal with Murphy. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The young duo have developed into key players for Ireland, and will continue to grow at WSL sides Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. Starting both against Poland may not be possible, but their connection on the pitch was clear to see in Cork, for one.
“Larko and I get on very well,” said Murphy. “We’re similar in age, which helps. We look to each other for being very similar personnel in terms of looking for the ball in behind or maybe coming to feet, and I feel as though we work quite well together.
“With Abbie, you never know what you’re gonna get in terms of she can take a player on, she can cut back, and I think that’s a really exciting thing about her. She’s the ability to change a game and make a game.”
“I have a luxury of players to play with, so I can’t complain on that front,” Murphy added on the entire strike force, with a nod to the hold-up play of Carusa and Amber Barrett, in particular.
Ward was appointed in January 2025, inheriting a squad smarting from their Euro play-off failure and losing several leaders to retirement. She tried to overhaul the style of play and it backfired spectacularly in a 4-0 hammering away to Slovenia.
Two games away from the World Cup, her mind returned to that Koper wake-up call in the bowels of Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night.
“When I took over, it was a real transition moment. There was a lot of hurt and I know I go on about Slovenia a lot, but without that battering in Slovenia, we wouldn’t have unearthed the hurt as quickly as we did and picked the bones out of what we needed to address. I think we have put that to bed.
“What you can see now is a group playing in a completely different way to back then, you look at the team and the type of football that was played then as compared to now, it is completely different.
“In that first campaign, I was playing in a way that I had played at club my whole career, 4-3-3, front-footed, high pressing, but there was too many gaps, it didn’t really suit the squad profile or player profile that we had.”
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A balance between “defending in the Irish way, and playing the ball in the Carla Ward way” was struck last summer with a change of system to a fluid 5-3-2, deployed from the Nations League promotion/relegation play-off win over Belgium onwards. Ireland have only lost to big hitters France and Netherlands – both narrowly – since.
“I think everyone together collectively has risen to the challenge and they have loved every minute,” Ward added.
“Footballers just want to play with the ball and I think they have all bought into that. It took time, God it took time and a lot of work but over the past 12 months, we have seen a complete change and I would say everyone contributed to that.”
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Ireland's goal rush will leave confidence high as attacking evolution continues
NOTHING HUGELY NEW can be gleaned from Ireland’s World Cup play-off semi-final demolition job against Kazakhstan.
Carla Ward’s side romped to a 12-0 aggregate win – 8-0 in Astana, 4-0 in Cork – against the minnows to move within two games of their second consecutive World Cup.
Far from an acid test, but confidence will be high as they face familiar foes Poland on 1 and 5 December – with the second game at Aviva Stadium – for a ticket to next summer’s bonanza in Brazil.
Poland came through a very different challenge, stunning Belgium after a penalty shootout. They are riding the crest of a wave as they dream of qualifying for a first-ever major tournament, with huge momentum behind them.
While there are mixed views about Ireland’s preparation against lowly opposition, it’s undeniable that confidence will be brimming after their goal rush. The slate will be wiped clean in six weeks’ time, with both sides starting from zero, but Ireland will tap into that feel-good factor.
There were 10 different goalscorers in the Kazakhstan double-header. Kyra Carusa, Jessie Stapleton (two each), Chloe Mustaki, Abbie Larkin, Emily Murphy, Jamie Finn, Shanade Hopcroft, Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan and Lucy Quinn all hit the back of the net.
The front three of Carusa, Larkin and Murphy ran riot in Astana, with the latter pair again combining in Cork. Goals came from all over, but the attack certainly fired.
“It is huge and it does give them confidence,” said Ward.
“We had to consider that with this second game. Maybe a lot of people thought we might have rung the changes but actually, we have to prepare and get confidence in all the combinations and all the rest of it with the next camp in mind.
“The one thing we set out to do is be better every camp and improve all the time, and I think we’ve done that. I think we’ll continue to do that.”
Attack
Ireland’s attack was naturally in sharper focus against Kazakhstan, underlining its evolution through the years. Both under Ward and her predecessors.
Before Kyra Carusa was deployed as a focal point in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup, Heather Payne – back in the squad as a full-back but unused here – ploughed a lonely furrow up top.
In time, it became a front two, with a three more common in Ward’s reign. Emily Murphy and Abbie Larkin have really stepped up, the young duo among those to make huge strides under the former Aston Villa manager with the attack notably bolstered.
The reliance on McCabe and O’Sullivan has lessened significantly, both on and off the scoresheet. Carusa has joined them on double figures, while Murphy and Larkin have been scoring and assisting more regularly.
The young duo have developed into key players for Ireland, and will continue to grow at WSL sides Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. Starting both against Poland may not be possible, but their connection on the pitch was clear to see in Cork, for one.
“Larko and I get on very well,” said Murphy. “We’re similar in age, which helps. We look to each other for being very similar personnel in terms of looking for the ball in behind or maybe coming to feet, and I feel as though we work quite well together.
“With Abbie, you never know what you’re gonna get in terms of she can take a player on, she can cut back, and I think that’s a really exciting thing about her. She’s the ability to change a game and make a game.”
“I have a luxury of players to play with, so I can’t complain on that front,” Murphy added on the entire strike force, with a nod to the hold-up play of Carusa and Amber Barrett, in particular.
Evolution
These attacking improvements have been part of a wider rebuild under Ward, which The 42 has extensively covered. (Read more in this exclusive interview from last December.)
Ward was appointed in January 2025, inheriting a squad smarting from their Euro play-off failure and losing several leaders to retirement. She tried to overhaul the style of play and it backfired spectacularly in a 4-0 hammering away to Slovenia.
Two games away from the World Cup, her mind returned to that Koper wake-up call in the bowels of Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night.
“When I took over, it was a real transition moment. There was a lot of hurt and I know I go on about Slovenia a lot, but without that battering in Slovenia, we wouldn’t have unearthed the hurt as quickly as we did and picked the bones out of what we needed to address. I think we have put that to bed.
“What you can see now is a group playing in a completely different way to back then, you look at the team and the type of football that was played then as compared to now, it is completely different.
“In that first campaign, I was playing in a way that I had played at club my whole career, 4-3-3, front-footed, high pressing, but there was too many gaps, it didn’t really suit the squad profile or player profile that we had.”
A balance between “defending in the Irish way, and playing the ball in the Carla Ward way” was struck last summer with a change of system to a fluid 5-3-2, deployed from the Nations League promotion/relegation play-off win over Belgium onwards. Ireland have only lost to big hitters France and Netherlands – both narrowly – since.
“I think everyone together collectively has risen to the challenge and they have loved every minute,” Ward added.
“Footballers just want to play with the ball and I think they have all bought into that. It took time, God it took time and a lot of work but over the past 12 months, we have seen a complete change and I would say everyone contributed to that.”
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