REPUBLIC OF IRELAND women’s manager Vera Pauw has named a provisional 31-player squad for her side’s European Championship qualifier against Germany.
It includes Cork City striker Saoirse Noonan, who is rewarded for a remarkably successful weekend with a first senior call-up.
On Sunday, the 21-year-old scored both goals as City booked their place in the FAI Cup final with a 2-0 win over Treaty United.
Twenty-four hours earlier, Noonan scored the decisive goal for Cork in a 1-14 to 0-14 victory against Kerry in the All-Ireland Senior Ladies’ Football Championship.
Noonan is joined in the squad by 18-year-old clubmate Eabha O’Mahony, while 17-year-old Emily Whelan of Shelbourne has also been recalled.
Braga goalkeeper Marie Hourihan is back in the squad, having missed last month’s defeat to Ukraine through injury.
Ireland’s campaign in Group I will conclude when they take on the Germans at Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday 1 December (5pm) – a behind-closed-doors game that will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2.
In order to secure a play-off place in their bid to qualify for the Euros, the Girls in Green face the daunting task of having to match or better Ukraine’s result against Montenegro on the same day.
The squad will be trimmed before the players assemble on 22 November.
Goalkeepers: Marie Hourihan (SC Braga), Courtney Brosnan (West Ham United), Grace Moloney (Reading), Niamh Reid-Burke (Peamount United)
Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Keeva Keenan (Celtic), Claire Walsh (Peamount United), Louise Quinn (Fiorentina), Diane Caldwell (SC Sand), Claire O’Riordan (MSV Duisburg), Eabha O’Mahony (Cork City), Isibeal Atkinson (Shelbourne), Aine O’Gorman (Peamount United)
Midfielders: Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Jamie Finn (Shelbourne), Denise O’Sullivan (Brighton & Hove Albion, on loan from NC Courage), Alli Murphy (London City Lionesses), Niamh Farrelly (Peamount United), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Ruesha Littlejohn (Leicester City), Ellen Molloy (Wexford Youths), Jessica Ziu (Shelbourne), Emily Whelan (Shelbourne)
Forwards: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Heather Payne (Florida State University), Leanne Kiernan (West Ham United), Amber Barrett (FC Koln), Rianna Jarrett (Brighton & Hove Albion), Kyra Carusa (HB Hoge), Saoirse Noonan (Cork City)
