Women’s World Cup qualifier: Ireland 3 (Carusa 19, Larkin 72, Barrett 90) Netherlands 2 (Janssen 70, Pelova 80)
Ireland: Brosnan; Mannion, Patten, Hayes, Connolly (Noonan 85), Mustaki; Larkin (Kiernan 76), Sheva, Littlejohn (Ziu 46), McCabe; Carusa (Barrett 76)
Netherlands: Kop; Wilms, Janssen, Buurman, Levels (Olislagers 56); Kaptein (Pelova 75), Egurrola (Groenen 56), Peddemors (van de Donk 56); Beerensteyn, Leuchter (Rijsbergen 75), Brugts
Here is the match report from Gavin Cummiskey:
"Amber Barrett – who else? – delivered a magic moment down by the River Lee with her 90th minute goal sending the Republic of Ireland to Grenoble next Tuesday for their last match of a World Cup qualification campaign where victory over France will send Carla Ward’s team to the World Cup in Brazil next summer.
“That’s not even half the story from this stunning game."
Read more:
That’s all from me, good night!
Amber Barrett on RTÉ:
How resilient we were those last 20 minutes. When it was 2-2, you’re just looking for something. You’re only looking for one chance and thank God I was there on the back post!
I always have this unbelievable self-belief, it’s the resilience to keep going, no matter what form I’m in. It was probably harder to miss than to score but I’ll definitely take it!
Here was Amber Barrett’s winning goal:
Abbie Larkin speaking on RTÉ: If I’m given chances I’m going to take them with both hands. You have to be taking risks, and being brave, if you miss, people are going to say something, you go with it, you have to be fearless. We are going to keep that going, keep that going for the next game. We believe after tonight, we will be buzzing, we will be focused.
Larkin was brilliant tonight, as was Hayes at the back. McCabe played a disciplined role.
Netherlands had plenty of chances, but that’s an outstanding result against one of the best teams in the world. Now they have a chance against France with nothing to lose and a chance to get one of only four automatic qualifying spots for the World Cup. In a group of this quality, it would be one of the greatest achievements in Irish football history if they pull it off. That game is on Tuesday.
Full-time: Ireland 3 Netherlands 2
What a result! Fantastic stuff. Amber Barrett super sub again.
95 mins: Ireland hanging on, it’s a nervy finish, some sloppy play in the rain. But Hayes clears it with a header, then a ball over the top is well shielded by Barrett. But stays in and the Dutch counter, Mustaki has to make an important interception.
Well headed out by Hayes, it’s over the six minutes now, Noonan is fouled to big cheers.
Red card for Ireland! Down to 10 players as she gets a red card for a high foot, dangerous play and while it was originally a yellow, can’t complain and Olislagers gets a bad head injury.
89 mins: Ireland get a chance one on one with the defender on the break after a pass by Ziu into Barrett. Janssen defends well but Ireland win a corner.
GOAL FOR IRELAND! Amber Barrett does it again in a big match! Patten’s header from Kiernan’s cross went across the goal and a poacher’s goal from Barrett! Brilliant.
Ireland 3 Netherlands 2
85 mins: Noonan is on for Connolly as Ward rolls the dice. France have beaten Poland in the other qualifier this evening, so nothing to lose here really, a draw or a defeat doesn’t change the equation much, whereas a win does.
80 mins: Goal for Netherlands! Oh dear, disappointing. Good ball through the gap to another sub Pelova, who shows great composure to finish past Brosnan, wrongfooting her.
Ireland 2 Netherlands 2
76 mins: Two subs for Ireland - Barrett is on for Carusa, Kiernan is on for Larkin. Great atmosphere in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, can they hold out? 12,569 is the attendance in Cork.
72 mins: GOAL FOR IRELAND! Would you believe it, immediately after conceding. Connolly to Sheva who puts in a good cross and Larkin gets ahead of the defender and smashes it past the keeper on the front post.
Ireland 2 Netherlands 1
69 mins: Penalty for Netherlands!
Ireland caught on the counter, the Dutch had numbers over, good play by Groenen as she feints past and forces Mannion to tackle her. Clear penalty as she’s taken out in the box.
70 mins: Goal for Netherlands! Janssen scores, despite Brosnan getting fingertips to it.
Ireland 1 Netherlands 1
66 mins: Another good save by Brosnan, from Groenen, who hits a powerful shot from the edge of the box after the corner, the Irish goalkeeper has to palm it over.
63 mins: Super save by Brosnan. Great low cross by Brugts and Beerensteyn misses a sitter from the six-yard box as the Irish offside trap failed. Brosnan saves the day from close range.
60 mins: Larkin puts in a dangerous cross off the right and almost finds Carusa, who would have been offside but they win a corner. Hayes can’t get enough on McCabe’s corner.
52 mins: The latest Dutch opportunity from Peddemors, who makes a sharp turn just outside the box but shoots it wide, the pressure is building this half already.
The second half is under way and the weather is getting even worse, Ireland dealing better with the conditions so far. Levels has a half-chance outside the box but fires it well over. Ziu is off the bench, replacing Littlejohn.
Half-time: Ireland 1 Netherlands 0
Excellent first half by Ireland, they’ve had to defend for a lot of it but things are going to plan thanks to Carusa’s goal.
44 mins: Connolly looked to have overhit a pass down the wing but the pace of Sheva shows as she gets to it before it goes out, but her cross is cut out. Some possession for Ireland at the end of the half before Carusa knocks it out of play.
42 mins: Ireland string a few passes together before Sheva floats a ball to the back post to Littlejohn but she can’t quite get to it.
39 mins: Ireland repelling the Netherlands charge, Buurman with a header from a corner goes wide. Ireland’s defensive shape is good, with McCabe hanging back mostly in this game so far.
34 mins: A few loose balls by the Dutch as the weather deteriorates in Cork, really wet and windy now. Carusa’s goal the difference so far but the opposition are always dangerous.
The Dutch are trying the Arsenal tactics of crowding the keeper from a corner, but Ireland safely escape, Hayes a big asset at the back.
28 mins: Netherlands have had plenty of chances, the latest one for Egurrola with a chance from inside the box but the shot was straight at Brosnan.
24 mins: Netherlands hit the post! Fantastic shot from outside the box by Wilms smashes off the crossbar. Then Leuchter’s header goes just wide from a Brugts cross. Big let-off there, Wilms’ shot had some power on it.
19 mins: GOAL FOR IRELAND! Carusa with the opening goal. Really good counter, Littlejohn with a good pass into Larkin who finds Carusa on the edge of the box, who makes a clever run. She finishes into the corner, keeper perhaps could have got down quicker, but it’s the lead in this key qualifier.
Ireland 1 Netherlands 0
17 mins: The Irish defence has been solid so far, with Caitlin Hayes with some important interventions. Leuchter takes a lovely touch at the edge of the box and guides one towards the back post, just wide though.
13 mins: The Dutch are creating plenty of chances, the latest one to Beerensteyn after a smart lay-off by Leuchter, she blasts it over though.
10 mins: Esmee Brugts shows plenty of quality off the left to cut inside and send a powerful shot just past the post, a sign of the danger for Ireland. Then not long afterwards, Sheva plays in Carusa with a chance in behind but she doesn’t have the pace to get through and is dispossessed by the defenders.
6 mins: Netherlands are dominating possession so far and squeezing the game in the middle with their pressing. A series of throw-ins edge Ireland up the pitch and Carusa nicks the ball off the defender, the cross from Mannion is blocked away and then Beerensteyn nearly scores on the counter, Mustaki just about holding her off in behind.
3 mins: Good play by the Dutch early on, with a sharp one-two forces Brosnan into an early save.
The teams are out on the field, good atmosphere despite the lashing rain in Cork, national anthems done.
Check out Mary Hannigan’s match preview for tonight’s clash, where she heard from manager Carla Ward:
“This is another opportunity to test ourselves against the very best. Come the end of it, we’ll see where we’re at. We know the strength of this squad and we have got a belief that we can go and create something really special. With the help of the Cork people, I think we can create an amazing atmosphere and be ready to get out of the traps quickly,” Ward said.
“Historically, no one has wanted to play against Ireland because as a nation it’s gritty, it has a determination, always difficult to beat. Over the years, they have defended tremendously well, but I think there is a different side to our game now, we can go and hurt teams, we go out to win. A couple of years ago we would have been in a different boat, but we are not too far off now.”
The Ireland team has been announced:
Ireland likely lining up in a 5-4-1 according to Uefa’s website, they will be reliant on Carusa holding the ball up well and McCabe’s creativity, maybe another cracker from long distance. On the Dutch side, Beerensteyn is the danger woman, having scored twice against Ireland in the Netherlands earlier in the group and has scored lots of goals at European level for the likes of Wolfsburg, Juventus and Bayern Munich.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands, live from Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Kick-off is at 7.30pm.
Ireland failed to register a point in their first two games of this campaign, but after back-to-back victories over Poland, they are in with an outside chance of picking up one of only four automatic slots for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. To do so, they would need to beat the Netherlands and France, two of the best teams in the world, so it is a tall order, especially after losing to both teams earlier in the group. Ireland are also missing home favourite Denise O’Sullivan to take on the Dutch.
But Ireland’s belief will never be lacking, led by Katie McCabe, and they should give it a good rattle. If they fail to win tonight, then the playoffs beckon, unless other results go their way. That would still represent a good achievement and the higher you finish in the group should lead to an easier playoff path.
