History beckons in Grenoble after a coming-of-age moment for the Girls in Green down in Cork
France are not invincible going into winner-takes-all clash
Cara Conboy, Guest Columnist
History awaits Carla Ward’s Ireland in France tonight when a win, any win never mind a shock win, will secure qualification for the 2027 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. What a story that would be.
First though, my take on the action last Friday night as Ireland edged a Dutch thriller to set-up this decisive French clash as Páirc Uí Chaoimh once again played host to a memorable night as Amber Barrett’s late winner secured that dramatic 3-2 victory.
Carla Ward was left with tough decisions to make regarding the starting line-up with Cork native Denise O’Sullivan unavailable for selection after picking up a second yellow card of the campaign last time out against Poland and key forward Emily Murphy was also suspended. Larkin came into the side in place of Murphy, while Ruesha Littlejohn took O’Sullivan’s spot in the centre of the park.
From the off, the Oranje dominated possession, leaving Ireland to work hard off the ball and remain resolute in their defending.
Despite this, it was Kyra Carusa who broke the deadlock. A great ball forward from Littlejohn released Abbie Larkin, whose deft pass with the outside of her foot found Carusa who remained onside. The Irish striker finished neatly with 20 minutes on the clock.
For the remainder of the half, Courtney Brosnan was a calming presence between the sticks and she was quick off her line on multiple occasions to snuff out Dutch attacks. Thus it remained 1-0 heading into the break after a brilliantly disciplined display from the Girls in Green.
As the conditions continued to worsen, the second-half took a while to get going but it was Dutch persistence that paid off as Mannion brought down Groenen in the box and Janssen made no mistake from the spot to equalise.
Again, the Girls in Green showed excellent character following the disappointment of conceding, going straight down the other end to re-take the lead through the impressive Larkin.
As Ward looked to her bench to see out the result with both goal scorers making way for Leanne Kiernan and Amber Barrett, the back and forth nature of the tie continued as with 10 minutes to go, Pelova remained calm in the box getting away from Mustaki and Hayes to finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-2.
With third place in the group and a play-off already secured after the French victory over Poland, the Girls in Green had nothing to lose as the rain soaked Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Ward took a gamble, changing the shape from the tried and tested 5-4-1 to a more attacking 3-4-3 as Saoirse Noonan came on.
It’s safe to say the gamble paid off as, in the 89th minute, Marissa Sheva sent in a lovely ball from the right-wing which was expertly knocked on by Patten and sent into the goal by the outstretched boot of Amber Barrett, securing yet another historic victory in Cork.
While Barrett’s winner deservedly grabbed the headlines, this victory feels like a true coming-of-age moment for this Irish team.
The Netherlands dominated possession for large spells, but Ireland remained focused and disciplined throughout while always looking to transition quickly. Carusa led the line superbly, combining her physical presence with the relentless energy of Larkin to cause problems for the Dutch defence on the counterattack. Ireland particularly impressed down the right flank as Carusa, Sheva and Mannion linked up well, creating a number of opportunities to stretch the Dutch defence.
At the other end, Caitlin Hayes and Courtney Brosnan stood out. Brosnan made a number of impressive saves at crucial moments in the game, while her ability to command the box helped to relieve pressure throughout. Despite facing 17 attempts on goal, the Girls in Green limited the Netherlands to relatively few clear-cut opportunities.
Carla Ward also deserves huge credit. Her substitutions were timed brilliantly as she swapped Carusa and Larkin for Barrett and Kiernan, introducing fresh legs without sacrificing Ireland’s ability to threaten on the break. Her willingness to gamble in the final 10 minutes was refreshing and ultimately proved decisive as Barrett clinched victory with a late winner.
Following the excitement of Friday’s victory, Ireland now turn their attentions to an even greater challenge in Grenoble on Tuesday night against group leaders France. They go into the game knowing that one more historic victory will secure automatic qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Ireland will be boosted by the return after suspension of both Denise O’Sullivan and Emily Murphy while the performances of Ruesha Littlejohn, Jess Ziu and Amber Barrett against the Netherlands highlighted the growing depth available to Ward. Kiernan will be unavailable for selection following her late sending off but with competition for places increasing, Ward has several difficult selection decisions ahead of Tuesday’s crucial tie.
France, while one of Europe’s strongest teams, are not invincible. Their technical quality and attacking prowess have helped them to the top of the group thus far, but throughout the campaign they have shown signs of vulnerability, most notably losing 2-1 to the Netherlands in Breda and only securing a 1-1 draw in the return fixture.
Ireland’s previous qualifying clash with the French saw Les Bleues run out 2-1 winners through two Melvine Malard goals.
A win on Tuesday wouldn’t be the first time the Girls in Green have shocked France. A 3-1 home victory over the French in July 2024 was the sole positive in an extremely tough Euro 2025 qualifying group.
This Ireland team are no strangers to the role of underdog and will travel full of confidence after Friday’s victory. If their display against the Netherlands proved anything, it is that this group possesses the resilience and belief required to compete with Europe’s elite as 90 minutes in Grenoble now stand between Ireland and a place at their second ever Women’s World Cup. History beckons.