World Cup qualifier: Republic of Ireland 1 (Sheva 41) Poland 0
The Republic of Ireland stride confidently into their final World Cup qualifiers in June against the Netherlands and France after completing the double over Poland.
The outstanding Marissa Sheva scored the winner at the Aviva Stadium, but the game will be remembered for the relentless performance of Denise O’Sullivan, who is now suspended for the Netherlands fixture at Páirc Uí Chaoimh after picking up a second yellow card.
“Disappointed not to play in my hometown, but I am so proud of the team,” said O’Sullivan after Saturday’s win at the Aviva Stadium.
“It’s frustrating that I am missing the game, of course, it’s in Cork. I’m really gutted but it’s part of football, it happens.
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“I’ll be there cheering the girls on. I trust them and I trust the staff are going to go out and do everything in their power to get something in those games. Keeping my head up, it is what it is. That’s the mentality.”
Emily Ward’s booking also rules the Newcastle attacker out of the game against the Netherlands.
Poland have every right to feel aggrieved by Slovenian referee Aleksandra Cesen’s failure to see Aoife Mannion’s foul on Weronika Zawistowska in the 67th minute. It should have been a penalty. Luckily for Ireland, VAR is not used in the qualifiers.
“Don’t you think we deserve a little bit of luck?” asked Ireland manager Carla Ward. “You look at the first game in Tallaght; France’s winning goal was two handballs, nobody spoke about it. The Netherlands’ winning goal was a handball, nobody spoke about it.”
Ward seemed particularly pleased by Sheva’s fifth international goal. Probably because it came straight off the Abbotstown training pitch.
Murphy threatened off the left before Megan Connolly and Mannion switched the play for Kyra Carusa – back in the side after illness – whose low cross was shinned over the line by Sheva.
It came four minutes before half-time. A perfect time to wobble Poland’s aggressive approach. Katie McCabe was fairly aggressive herself in the celebrations, grabbing Sheva’s collar with both hands in an act of affection. The indefatigable American screamed in delight as she was surrounded by relieved team-mates.
Ireland had found their groove again. It did not come easy. Quiet heroics were required from Mannion, Caitlin Hayes and Chloe Mustaki in the opening exchanges as Poland came to Dublin seeking to atone for last Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat in Gdansk.
There was plenty of bite in the tackles as McCabe was smothered whenever she tried to work down the left wing and O’Sullivan received plenty of special treatment.
“I’m used to it,” said the Liverpool midfielder. “I like to get on the ball.”
Mustaki was identified as a potential weakness but the Nottingham Forest defender calmly coped with all sorts of tricky balls. The same can be said of Mannion at right-back, who did struggle to contain Nadia Krezyman.
The Polish winger found Ewa Pajor with a dangerous delivery to the front post on 13 minutes but the Barcelona striker shot into the side netting. It was a let off for Ireland.
McCabe eventually made her presence felt, as she always does, whipping speculative crosses that almost resulted in goals for O’Sullivan and Mannion.
O’Sullivan, now 33, produced one of her best ever games in green, constantly breaking up Polish attacks and spraying passes for Carusa to hold up or Murphy to sprint on to.
Murphy couldn’t believe her 15th-minute shot hit the crossbar instead of nestling in an open net. Sheva, under pressure, ballooned the rebound.
She made no mistake with her next chance, inching ahead of Wiktoria Zieniewicz to profit from a weak glove by Poland goalkeeper Kinga Szemik to finish at the back post.
Cue wild celebrations on the pitch and around the Ireland dugout. Ward kicked a water bottle. McCabe shook Sheva in delight. The 18,267 crowd of mostly young girls reacted to the scenes. It felt like a release valve.
Connolly almost made it 2-0 early in the second-half but Szemik got down well to deny the Lazio midfielder.
And then O’Sullivan almost produced an audacious goal to compare with McCabe’s volley in Poland last Tuesday. She popped the ball over two defenders before lashing a shot off the underside of the crossbar.
“I wish it went in, but I’m confident right now. You can see that in the box, I’m really enjoying this team. It comes from the people around me giving me that confidence and that belief – Carla, the staff, the girls. I’m really valued in here.”
The Slovenian officials somehow missed Mannion’s wild swing on Zawistowska as Ireland battled to secure an important three points after eight nervy minutes of injury-time.
Following the Netherlands’ late equaliser in France on Saturday night, Ireland can qualify directly for Brazil 2027 by topping Group A2 if they beat the Dutch at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on June 5th and then avoid defeat in Grenoble four days later, also needing Poland to do us a favour and draw with France.
All to play for.
IRELAND: Brosnan; Mannion, Patten, Hayes, Mustaki, McCabe; O’Sullivan, Connolly, Sheva; Murphy, Carusa (Larkin 72).
POLAND: Szemik; Zieniewicz, Wos, Dudek, Wiankowska; Achcinska (Grzybowska 46), Kamczyk (Sarapata 80), Pawwollek; Tomasiak (Arasniewicz 90), Pajor, Krezyman (Zawistowska 65).
Referee: Aleksandra Cesen (Slovenia).
