Eileen Gleeson’s Republic of Ireland squad commanded a 6-0 advantage as they prepared for the second leg of a playoff on Tuesday evening in Tallaght, where they welcomed guests from Georgia. The latter had a dismal record against Ireland, with an aggregate score of 0-26 from their last three encounters. However, Ireland, not so long ago, found themselves categorised as a “developing nation” and suffered a 10-0 defeat to Sweden. This kept the Irish grounded; Denise O’Sullivan even took a pre-match stroll on the pitch with Tony O’Donoghue. The sense of modesty was fleeting, though, as they both agreed Tallaght wasn’t Cork.
In the pitchside studio, Marie Crowe was joined by Karen Duggan and Rianna Jarrett, who were pleased with Gleeson’s chosen lineup, which included Courtney Brosnan, Jessie Stapleton, and Marissa Sheva in the starting eleven. Reporting on pitch conditions, Tony described them as “good to firm” which promised fluid play and plenty of athletic prowess.
The Irish starting eleven had a diverse mix of three English and three American-born players. However, when the national anthem was sung, everyone enthusiastically joined in. As per a sign in the audience, they were “bloody brilliant”.
In the humid Tallaght evening, even Heimir Hallgrímsson attended the match, sneezing intensely not being accustomed to the Irish weather. The Irish team immediately disrupted Georgia’s rhythm, with Julie-Ann Russell scoring an early goal at just three minutes into the game.
Russell’s near four-year absence from the international arena seems like a missed opportunity for Ireland, especially considering her performance since her return.
Des Curran and Stephanie Zambra showed early concern for Georgia. Their anxiety arose from Georgia’s young Tatia being in the goal, who even though managed to minimise further damage, leaked an early goal which led to worries among the spectators. The duo were later entranced by Stapleton’s stunning back-flick, which secured an additional goal for Kyra Carusa. The jubilations hadn’t even subsided when Ireland scored a penalty kick. Although Katie McCabe’s shot missed the bar, it didn’t matter much as Ireland led with a commanding score of 8-0 at half-time, much to the approval of the RTÉ panel.
Concurrently, there was an intense match in Cardiff between Wales and Slovakia, where the victorious team would face Ireland in the final play-off set to occur in November/December. The winners would secure a coveted spot at the European Championships in Switzerland next July. A live update showed Jess Fishlock scoring thrice, two of which were disallowed, tying the score at 2-2. While Ireland had a serene time in Tallaght, Wales faced a nerve-racking game in Cardiff.
As the second half rolled in England, Katie McCabe overcame her penalty miss, adding to Ireland’s goal tally. This all transpired before a record-setting audience of 8,745 spectators at Tallaght for a women’s football match. Despite the dreary weather on an October evening, the turnout was impressive.
The game didn’t see a massive number of goals, but the Aviva Stadium will host the second leg of the play-off finals against either Wales or Slovakia. As the game extended into extra time, Ceri Holland for Wales found the back of the net, meaning Wales would meet Ireland. Following Ireland’s World Cup victory over Scotland, they would face Wales in Euro 2025. Should they successfully challenge Wales, it will set the stage for an exciting festive period.