Northern Ireland 1
Republic of Ireland 6
A FLURRY OF goals either side of half time ensured the Republic of Ireland finished 2023 in style — and with a clean sweep of their Uefa Nations League group on an historic night in Belfast.
Lucy Quinn, Heather Payne, Kyra Carusa, Katie McCabe, Louise Quinn and Caitlin Hayes all scored as the Girls In Green ensured Eileen Gleeson’s interim reign ended with a 100% record.
This was a whitewash at Windsor Park, though Gleeson will likely be disappointed with the lack of clean sheet against a side 23 places below them in the Fifa World Rankings, and predominantly part-time.
But with promotion to League A long secured, that’s six wins from six and an imperious record in Group B1 – 20 goals scored and two conceded – amidst the post-Vera Pauw era.
Pauw’s permanent successor is due to be named before Christmas, and they’ll inherit an evolving outfit – though ‘not the finished article,’ as captain McCabe has stressed.
Northern Ireland, meanwhile, finish third in Group B1 after Hungary’s 6-0 hammering of Albania.
This was a slow burn on a cold night in Belfast. Amhrán na bhFiann was sung for the first time at Windsor Park — and received respectfully — before the Republic moved through the gears. The official attendance was not announced, but it will have fallen short of the expected 10,000.
Two brilliant goals in two late first-half minutes sent Ireland on their way, while a brace in the space three minutes after the break drove them on further.
Lucy Quinn, the first goalscorer when Northern Ireland were the opposition for the historic 3-0 Aviva Stadium clash in September, struck first in the 37th minute.
It was a similar finish: curled home from outside the box after Hayes found McCabe with a pinpoint long-range pass, the skipper took a brilliant first touch and sent Quinn on her way.
Before she could draw breath, the Birmingham City attacker turned provider for Payne’s 39th-minute volley. Payne started the attack, Quinn’s cross found her at the back post, and the Everton wide player hit home first time.
Up to that point, the battle of McCabe and Caragh Hamilton had been the highlight, as the visitors controlled proceedings but were hesitant to shoot.
The two-goal salvo sparked the game to life. Tanya Oxtoby’s Northern Ireland initially responded well, with Courtney Brosnan called to action twice in quick succession: first, an endline delivery from Marissa Callaghan, and then, Chloe McCarron’s curling corner.
Katie McCabe scores a superb individual goal, with the sublime finish coming from her 'weaker' right foot.
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But Gleeson’s side produced another quick-fire assault on the restart. This time, McCabe did a reverse Lucy Quinn as she went from provider to scorer. She found Carusa for a glancing front-post header in the 47th minute, before a typical ‘banger’ three ticks later.
This one was with her weaker right foot, turning on the jets as she cut in from the left and floated home from distance.
Pre-match, Gleeson made two changes to her XI, while Sinead Farrelly was not included in the matchday squad: Jamie Finn and Lucy Quinn started ahead of Tyler Toland and Izzy Atkinson, with McCabe deployed wide left in a 3-4-1-2.
The Arsenal star was much brighter after a quiet night as a twin 10 with Denise O’Sullivan in Friday’s scrappy 1-0 win over Hungary, and most of Ireland’s best stuff early on went through her.
Herself and Rebecca McKenna tangled, while Nadene Caldwell later caught her as Northern Ireland struggled to keep tabs on the marauding Dubliner.
Aston Villa’s Simone Magill was a bright spark for the hosts, who strung together a few more shots than their duck egg at the Aviva. At the other end, goalkeeper Madisson Harvey Clifford comfortably claimed a Megan Connolly corner and a Payne cross and referee Veronika Kovarova waved on a McCarron handball in the box, before the pre- and post-half time onslaught.
Ireland moved the ball well and sustained their pressure as the game ticked on, with Harvey Clifford tipping a Payne effort over before Louise Quinn made it five just after the hour-mark. The Wicklow centurion silenced rare booing aimed at Connolly — who was earning her 50th cap — as she swung in a corner for a fine lofted header.
While Gleeson called on fresh legs – including Jessie Stapleton for her second cap – Northern Ireland kept battling and remained a threat throughout an open end to the game.
Substitute Kerry Beattie grabbed what proved to be a consolation goal in the 74th minute as she got on the end of Rebecca Holloway’s second ball from a corner, with several Irish players on the deck.
But they were determined to rise again — and cancel out just the second goal they conceded in this campaign — and they eventually did so with aplomb.
Others came close, with Connolly most notably blazing over, but Hayes hammered home her corner delivery in the 86th minute.
It was the Celtic defender’s second in green, and first with her foot, with McCabe and Carusa, in particular, continuing their impressive goalscoring form.
Onwards to 2024.
More of it.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Harvey Clifford; Rebecca Holloway, Laura Rafferty, Sarah McFadden, Rebecca McKenna (Demi Vance HT), Caragh Hamilton; Marissa Callaghan, Chloe McCarron (Megan Bell 81), Nadene Caldwell (Danielle Maxwell 66); Lauren Wade, Simone Magill (Kerry Beattie HT).
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Caitlin Hayes, Louise Quinn (Chloe Mustaki 81), Megan Connolly; Heather Payne (Abbie Larkin 63), Ruesha Littlejohn (Jessie Stapleton 63), Jamie Finn (Lily Agg 85), Katie McCabe; Denise O’Sullivan; Lucy Quinn (Izzy Atkinson 81), Kyra Carusa.
Referee: Veronika Kovarova (Czech Republic).