Ireland 5-1 Albania
Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.
Ireland are hoping to make it three wins from three in the Nations League.
Eileen Gleeson’s side have already beaten Northern Ireland and Hungary 3-0 and 4-0 respectively.
Albania, by contrast, have drawn 1-1 with Hungary and were beaten 1-0 by Northern Ireland.
The Irish team are consequently strong favourites for this game and the return fixture in four days’ time.
Six points would put the national side in a very strong position to gain promotion to League A ahead of the final set of fixtures in December.
Confirmation of the Ireland team below. Heather Payne and Lucy Quinn are out of the matchday squad with niggles.
STARTING XI | Ireland v Albania
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) October 27, 2023
A special moment for Diane Caldwell, who leads us out on her 100th Cap 👏#COYGIG | #OUTBELIEVE | #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/iEmzO3pPGA
The Albania team is as follows…
1. Rexhepi 20. Metalla 6. Maliqi 3. Curraj 16. Gjini 15. Berisha 10. Krasniqi 14. Franja 11. Doçi 17. Maksuti 18. Hilaj
Substitutes 2. Tukaj 4. Tomaj 5. Bajraktari 7. Hamidi 8. Elezaj 9. Troka 12. Hyska 13. Baska 19. Gjergji
Who do you think will win?
Poll Results:
“The focus is on football over the coming days, with the return fixture in Shkodër on Tuesday. This double-header is far from the highs of the World Cup opener in Sydney or the recent Aviva Stadium showpiece, which attracted attendances of 75,784 and 35,944 respectively.
“The FAI say tonight’s game is sold-out, with over 7,000 tickets snapped up, but how sales translates to the crowd will be interesting given the awkward kick-off time.
“Gleeson has promised a performance in exchange for support, with a facile win and a handful of goals of anticipated.
“But her message remains clear: “Complacency is our enemy,” the FAI Head of Women’s and Girls Football noted in the build-up.
“Don’t get caught.”
Read Emma Duffy’s full match preview here.
We’re underway…
Early pressure from Ireland.
McCabe has just lofted in two dangerous corners.
Goalkeeper Rexhepi needed to be alert to claw both to safety.
IRELAND 1-0 ALBANIA (MCCABE 4)
Larkin’s low ball from wide is controlled by McCabe.
The Arsenal star then dinks it over the onrushing goalkeeper to give Ireland the perfect start.
IRELAND 1-1 ALBANIA (DOCI 7)
An impressive response from Albania.
Curraj’s ball is lofted through and Doci is completely unmarked.
It’s not an easy finish but converts consummately from close range, leaving Brosnan with no chance.
Here’s a look at the opening goal…
GOAL IRELAND
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 27, 2023
IRL 1-0 ALB
Katie McCabe opens the scoring as Ireland make the perfect start against Albania at Tallaght Stadium.
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Connolly clips a nice ball through for McCabe but the Arsenal star can’t quite get it under control as she runs through on goal.
Ireland continue to dominate possession and territory, with Atkinson looking lively and seeing plenty of the ball on the left.
Caldwell tries a spectacular effort from distance that the goalkeeper has to tip onto the crossbar.
Rexhepi makes the save again from Carusa on the rebound, though the Ireland forward was flagged offside, so it wouldn’t have counted.
Here’s a look at Albania’s equaliser…
GOAL ALBANIA
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 27, 2023
IRL 1-1 ALB
It's all square at Tallaght Stadium as Albania hit straight back to cancel out Ireland's opener.
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IRELAND 2-1 ALBANIA (MCCABE 26)
Ireland are back in front.
It’s a spectacular effort from distance from McCabe, who is thriving in this more central role than usual that she is being asked to play.
Here’s a look at McCabe’s second.
She’s really a player in form right now.
Ireland 2-1 Albania: Who else but Katie McCabe? The Irish skipper shows great strength and then finds the finish to put Ireland back in front at Tallaght Stadium. #IRLALB
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 27, 2023
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Connolly’s free kick is in a decent position, but her effort is a few inches over.
Ireland look well in control here.
Albania can be clinical as they showed with the equaliser, but they’ve barely got near Brosnan’s goal since then.
McCabe tries another effort from distance but this time it’s an easy enough save for Rexhepi.
The 28-year-old Kilnamanagh native is full of confidence at the moment.
HALF-TIME: IRELAND 2-1 ALBANIA
So that’s the first half done.
Ireland have overcome the slight setback of Doci’s seventh-minute equaliser to take a deserved lead at the break.
Not for the first time, Katie McCabe has been the difference-maker.
On the Arsenal star’s 79th cap, the Ballon D’Or nominee has taken her overall tally at international level to 24.
Perhaps wisely, Gleeson has opted to play the Kilnamanagh native in a more central role than usual and this decision has clearly paid dividends.
In general, Ireland have looked fairly comfortable.
It’s almost been too easy for the hosts at times, and the only way they don’t emerge with three points is if they get complacent in the second half, as they are clearly the better team.
The second half is underway…
McCabe threatens again on the counter-attack.
She goes past Gjini before firing the ball a few inches over.
Louise Quinn nearly makes it three.
McCabe’s corner is parried away before Rexhepi gets down well to keep out the Birmingham defender’s header.
Caldwell has to make a last-ditch tackle to stop Maksuti running through on goal.
Meanwhile, Albania make a change, with Metalla replaced by Hamidi.
IRELAND 3-1 ALBANIA (CARUSA 57)
That’s surely game, set and match now, and it’s a wonderful counter-attacking goal.
McCabe turns provider this time as she slips through Carusa.
The forward produces a brilliant clipped finish over the goalkeeper and into the net.
IRELAND 4-1 ALBANIA (CARUSA 60)
What a brilliant few minutes it’s been for Carusa.
This time she powerfully heads home a McCabe cross, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance, for her second of the night and Ireland’s fourth.
Ireland made a couple of changes between the third and fourth goals.
Atkinson and Connolly went off, with McLoughlin and Farrelly replacing them.
Ireland almost add a fifth.
O’Sullivan cleverly feigns to shoot on the free kick and instead slips through McCabe, who fires narrowly wide from a tight angle.
Here’s a look at Ireland’s third goal…
Ireland 3-1 Albania: Katie McCabe is involved once again, leading a fine counter-attack before playing the ball in for Kyra Carusa to add the third goal. . #IRLALB
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 27, 2023
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And here’s the fourth…
Ireland 4-1 Albania: Katie McCabe and Kyra Carusa combine again to put real breathing room between the two sides. #IRLALB
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 27, 2023
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Ireland make another change.
Jamie Finn replaces Abbie Larkin.
Caldwell has another crack from about 30 yards and it flies narrowly wide of the post.
That would have been some way to celebrate her 100th cap.
McCabe tests the goalkeeper with a free kick from the edge of the box but it’s a relatively easy save for Rexhepi.
The Arsenal star clearly is determined to get the hat-trick.
The official attendance has been announced as 5,752.
Over 7,000 tickets had been sold for tonight’s game, but the awkward kick-off time has seemingly put off a few people.
IRELAND 5-1 ALBANIA (MCCABE 81)
McCabe gets the hat-trick and it’s a superb effort.
Farrelly lays off a free kick on the edge of the area and the skipper places it perfectly into the top corner to continue a brilliant night’s work for her in particular.
A couple of more substitutions have been made.
For Ireland, Carusa and Caldwell are replaced by Whelan and Mustaki.
For Albania, Troka comes on for Maksuti.
Here’s a look at McCabe’s excellent hat-trick goal…
Ireland 5-1 Albania: Katie McCabe completes her hat-trick with a wonderfully struck free-kick. Three goals, two assists, just another day at the office for the Ireland captain. #IRLALB
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 27, 2023
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More changes for Albania.
Tukaj and Gjergji are on, Curraj and Krasniqi go off.
There will be five minutes of stoppage time…
A well-worked move by Ireland ends with McCabe’s lovely curled effort hitting the top of the crossbar.
She’s still hungry for a fourth goal.
No prizes for guessing the official player of the match.
It’s Katie McCabe, of course, having registered three goals and two assists.
FULL-TIME: IRELAND 5-1 ALBANIA
So that’s that.
A world-class performance from a world-class player as Katie McCabe stars in Ireland’s demolition of Albania.
In truth, it was a bit of a stroll for Ireland.
Albania scored on one of the rare occasions they ventured into the opposition penalty but it was largely one-way traffic.
With nine points, 12 goals and only one conceded, Ireland can be pretty happy with their start to life in Nations League.
