After settling into the game of their lives, Ireland's second-half display in defeat to Australia gives encouragement for what the team can achieve at the World Cup, according to defender Niamh Fahey.
A tournament debut ended with a creditable 1-0 defeat to hosts and contenders Australia after Steph Catley’s penalty shortly after the break settled the Group B contest in Sydney.
Despite the Matildas’ pre-match billing, they were relatively subdued in the opening 45 minutes, and while Vera Pauw’s side also failed to thoroughly examine goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, they upped their intent after falling behind.
The introduction of Abbie Larkin and Lucy Quinn saw Ireland more on the front foot and had a couple of half-chances late on to snatch a draw.
Speaking after the match, defender Fahey said there were mixed emotions given the performance and the result.
"There are an awful lot of positives to take, though we are disappointed now. We are proud of the performance and we need to take that into the Canada game," she said.
"We pushed on when we went one-nil down. There was a bit of cat and mouse at the start, you can’t really expose yourself at the start too much as they gad a lot of pace in behind. We showed when we went for them we really put them under pressure.
"There wasn’t much in it at all and we went toe-to-toe with them for the majority of the second half."
The absence of star player Sam Kerr on the Australian teamsheet was a major boon for Ireland and while the hosts began the second half brightly, Fahey feels her team were comfortable in frustrating the Matildas.
"We defended well as a whole team. We put in such a shift trying to keep them at bay, nullifying their strengths. Courtney Brosnan (goalkeeper) wasn’t as busy as she has been in other games, so that’s the frustrating part."
Kyra Carusa led the line for Ireland and says the Irish performance shows the development of the team.
"Our big five moments – five minutes at the start and end of halves – we improved a lot and we got a lot of opportunities out of those minutes," she said.
"In past games, those were the minutes in which we dropped off, took our feet off the gas. Towards the back end of that second half we really showed that we can put a lot more pressure and we will take that into the next two games."
The 27-year-old was forced to toil for large portions of the opening 45 minutes and was replaced shortly after the hour mark for Izzy Atkinson.
The London City Lionesses strikes admits that there is an element of sacrifice to playing up top in this Irish team.
"With our system, and I understand the role I play, it’s important that every ball you get, or any opportunity, you make something of it for the team. You create something of it.
"It is hard, You have to do what you have to do. I know what we have been incredibly successful with it, and we can continue to.
"Sometimes it’s just a matter of me getting the ball into spaces believing that our team-mates will be there as well. In the last few games, you could really see we have been on the same page.
"There were moments today we were, there were moments we weren’t."
Watch every game from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live on RTÉ, with comprehensive coverage of the Republic of Ireland across television, radio and digital
