Republic of Ireland 4-0 Northern Ireland
Leanne Kiernan and Katie McCabe scored a brace each as the Republic of Ireland completed their women’s World Cup qualification campaign with a resounding victory over Northern Ireland at Tallaght Stadium.
Successive defeats in their last three fixtures obliterated Ireland’s hopes of earning a play-off route to next year’s tournament in France but Colin Bell wanted his side to finish by recording their fourth win of the eight-game series.
It helped the mission that they were facing a Northern Ireland side carrying the worst defensive record in the group.
The 24 goals they’d conceded in the previous six matches was added to by another three inside the opening half hour as the Republic wrapped up the game as a contest early.
With Ireland already guaranteed third place, Bell could have chosen to blood a fleet of youngsters but he operates on the basis of necessity and merit, meaning Amanda Budden replaced the injured Marie Hourihan in goal for her debut and Rianna Jarrett earned a first competitive start up front at the age of 24.
Heather Payne, having competed her Leaving Certificate commitments and joined English side Bristol City, was the other new face in the line-up.
Bell reverted to his three central defenders formation, only on this occasion it wasn’t designed to suffocate superior opposition. Wing-backs Payne and Scott, returning from injury, were afforded space to support the attack, a ploy the visitors struggled to cope with.
Leanne Kiernan gives the Republic of Ireland an early lead in Tallaght https://t.co/NLf69i77vz pic.twitter.com/NdA5nV7nRD
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 31, 2018
They were also susceptible, as the opening goal demonstrated, from long balls. Just three minutes in and Diane Caldwell’s lofted pass from her own half released Kiernan who waited for Jacqueline Burns to advance before lobbing the bouncing ball over her head.
Once Budden passed her only test of the evening four minutes later by gathering a cross she initially flapped at, Ireland were in cruise control.
Kiernan’s pace once again saw her get in behind the defence on 12 minutes and her cut-back allowed Tyler Toland to fire in a 20-yard shot. Burns did well to reach the effort but her spill fell to Jarrett, who laid the ball back for McCabe to find the top corner with a rising shot.
Leanne Kiernan was named Player of the Match after the IRLWNT emphatic win over @NorthernIreland #rtesoccer pic.twitter.com/M3ykORgUh3
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 31, 2018
After having a volley ruled out for offside soon after, recent West Ham United recruit Kiernan bagged her second on 27 minutes.
When Denise O’Sullivan’s surging run from midfield drew the north’s centre-backs out of position, she slipped the ball into space for Kiernan to burst clear and beat Burns with a side-footed curler.
It was all too easy for Ireland and the second half was equally one-sided. McCabe’s converted penalty on 58 minutes, stroked the middle after Scott was bundled over by Burns, was all they had to show for their dominance but 18-year-old Kiernan was denied a hat-trick when her low diagonal shot clipped the inside of the post.
REP OF IRELAND: Amanda Budden (Cork City); Heather Payne (Bristol City), Diane Caldwell (SC Sand), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Louise Quinn (Arsenal), Harriet Scott (Birmingham City); Denise O’Sullivan (NC Courage), Tyler Toland (Maiden City), Katie McCabe (Arsenal); Leanne Kiernan (West Ham), Rianna Jarrett (Wexford Youths).
Subs: Karen Duggan (Peamount Utd) for Toland (61mins), Jessica Ziu (Shelbourne) for Jarrett (77 mins), Amber Barrett (Peamount Utd) for Kiernan (88 mins).
NORTHERN IRELAND: Jacqueline Burns (Carson Newman); Billie Simpson (Cliftonville), Laura Raffety (Brighton), Julie Nelson (Crusaders), Jessica Foy (Glentoran): Caragh Milligan (Glentoran), Sarah McFadden (Durham), Marissa Callaghan (Cliftonville), Lauren Wade (unattached); Kerry Montgomery (Motherwell); Simone McGill (Everton).
Subs: Megan Bell (Linfield) for Montgomery (62 mins), Rebecca McKenna (Linfield) for Wade (72 mins), Freya Holdaway (Crystal Palace) for McFadden (74 mins).
Referee: Angelika Soeder (GER)
