With the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-off against Scotland or Austria just over three weeks away, manager Vera Pauw will be busy keeping an eye on the form and fitness of her players, an ever-increasing number of them now with clubs beyond these shores.
Twelve of them are playing their football in the English Super League, although Brighton’s Megan Connolly and Aston Villa’s Ruesha Littlejohn are currently out of action after picking up injuries against Finland earlier this month. They missed the start of the new campaign.
Seven of the remaining 10 started for their clubs, the other three on bench duty, the Liverpool trio of Niamh Fahey, Leanne Kiernan and Megan Campbell helping produce the result of the weekend when the newly promoted side beat reigning champions Chelsea 2-1.
Worryingly, though, Kiernan hobbled out of the game on 57 minutes after a heavy challenge, her right ankle seeming to have taken the brunt of the blow. Campbell replaced her and promptly caused carnage with that bewilderingly long throw of hers, one of them leading to the penalty that Katie Stengel converted to equalise. The American then added a second to win the game.
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Irish captain Katie McCabe, whose Arsenal side beat Brighton 4-0 on Friday night, and Jess Ziu, who marked her debut for West Ham by setting up the only goal of the game against Everton on Sunday, were the only other Irish players to end up on winning sides at the weekend.
The good news for Pauw from the latter game was that her first-choice goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan started for Everton, having spent much of last season out of the side.
It was a tough weekend, though, for the Super League’s two other Irish goalkeepers, Brighton’s Megan Walsh and Reading’s Grace Moloney, both conceding four goals in their clubs’ defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United, respectively.
Saoirse Noonan had a decidedly happier time of it when she scored twice for Durham in their 3-1 win over Blackburn in the English Championship, Chloe Mustaki celebrating too after Bristol City made it three wins out of three with their 1-0 win over Sunderland.
Lily Agg, who scored that winner against Finland, should be fresh for the play-off – she’ll be suspended after being sent off with five minutes to go in the London City Lionesses’ scoreless draw away to Lewes.
Over in Denmark, HB Koge captain Kyra Carusa was among the goals for the defending league champions in their 5-1 win over Kolding IF, the striker having returned to action following a hip injury that ruled her out of international duty last time around.
In Italy, Niamh Farrelly started for Parma in their 2-1 Serie A defeat away to Fiorentina, a respectable scoreline for a side that was playing division four football last season, while Amber Barrett played from start to finish in Turbine Potsdam’s 1-1 draw away to Werder Bremen in Germany’s Bundesliga.
