'Win or lose, they did us proud,': Denise O’Sullivan’s sister praises Girls in Green
Reaction after Australia takes the lead from a penalty kick as family and friends of Denise O'Sullivan gathered to watch the FIFA Women's World Cup game Ireland vs Australia at The Woolshed Bar & Grill on Thursday morning. Picture: Larry Cummins
The Irish women’s football team may have just suffered defeat to the Australians in their opening Women’s World Cup match, but Denise O’Sullivan’s midfield performance will still see Knocknaheeny puffed up with pride this evening.
And they’re making big plans for a gathering of supporters for the Girls in Green’s next match against Canada in six days’ time.
The packed Woolshed Bar and Grill in Cork city centre played host to a riot of green-clad friends, family and fans of the Northside midfielder at a World Cup watch party.
Everyone present was keen to support the women’s national team’s debut performance in the World Cup championship and to show their love for Denise, who plays for professional US team North Carolina Courage when she’s not sporting a green jersey.
Well-known Penny Dinners charity volunteer co-ordinator Caitríona Twomey even dropped by in her supporter’s gear to lend her support for a fellow female Cork powerhouse.
The rollercoaster of emotion for fans But while the pre-match atmosphere was electric and full of joy, with a nil-all first half leaving room for optimism, watching fans underwent a rollercoaster of emotion in the second half.
There was the sickening moment of Steph Catley’s penalty conversion for the Matildas just six minutes into the second half, with a volley of groans and sighs echoing round the busy bar, and then a nail-biting sequence of near misses for the Girls in Green before hopes of a last-minute goal were dashed and the whistle blew.
“There were points close to the end of the second half where we really thought they were going to score,” Denise’s sister Melissa said after it was all over.
“But win or lose, they did us proud, and Denise did us proud too. She played very well. And the team? we couldn’t have asked for more from them.”
There may have been a record-breaking 75,000 fans attending at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, but the volume of boos amongst Denise fans would almost have given them a run for their money when the number 10 picked up a yellow card in the 42nd minute for a challenge that some fans did not think was heavy enough to warrant the referee’s decision.
The “See it to be it” ethos of young girls finding role models in the adult women’s team was very much in evidence amongst the supporters, with a gaggle of primary school-aged girls in their green jerseys, and even a baby girl decked out in green.
But there was male support in droves for Denise, not least of whom were the many members and supporters of Grattan United FC present: the Knocknaheeny club is where Denise played football alongside her brothers as a youngster.
Pa Connors, who now coaches at Grattan United, has fond memories of Denise toughing it out against the boys on the pitch when they were kids.
“They could never keep up with her,” he remembered in a lull in the game. “She was so good.”
He said Denise was holding her own against the tough Aussies, “pulling the strings in midfield,” but his prediction that he couldn’t see the Girls in Green scoring a goal from play due to the solid defending of the Matildas ultimately proved true, with not even a series of opportunities from frees and corners in the closing minutes netting Vera Pauw’s team an equaliser.
All eyes will now be on next Wednesday when the Girls in Green take on another challenging foe in the form of Canada: Melissa said a “huge event” in Ballyvolane’s Murphy’s Rock Bar will hopefully see the Northside turn out in numbers to show support.
Like many other commentators, Melissa has found the level of support for the Women’s World Cup team to be lukewarm.
“If it was the men’s team there’d be posters and flags in every shop and business in the city,” she said.
“They’ve come along way and they deserve the support. Hopefully, it will keep getting better and better for them. But listen, we’re supporting them, and that’s the main thing.”
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