Byrne: Russia remains focus

Republic of Ireland 2 Germany 3

It took a freak stoppage-time winner from the visitors at Tallaght Stadium to prevent Sue Ronan’s side bagging a sensational draw against a Germany side that smashed nine unanswered goals past Ireland’s closest rivals for second spot in Group One, Russia.

In a campaign where a runners-up spot was always the target, Arsenal keeper Byrne is even more confident of achieving their target.

“We’ve got Russia coming up soon at home on May 7, so the performance against Germany has given us plenty to be confident about,” she said. “After getting seven points from the first three qualifiers, we knew the Russia game would be the most important if we’re to secure a World Cup play-off later this year. The only pity is that we didn’t get the draw on Saturday that our display deserved.”

Byrne, presented with a gold cap before the game to mark her 106th appearance, left Tallaght ruing a missed opportunity.

The Dubliner had produced a typically-assured display to keep Ireland’s early lead intact. Her double save from Simone Laudehr midway through the first half was the nearest Germany came to cancelling out Louise Quinn’s second-minute opener.

But Laudehr eventually found a way past the Dubliner with a penalty for the 65th-minute equaliser before luck played in part in the Germans’ next two goals.

In between those strikes, substitute Stephanie Roche had drawn second-placed Ireland level two minutes from the end.

Byrne is adamant she was fouled in the lead-up to Lena Lotzen’s goal to make it 2-1. And she says Melanie Leupolz fluked the last-gasp winner that sailed over her head.

“People talk about the luck of the Irish — but Germany were the lucky ones today,” said the stalwart. “They’d won their previous five qualifiers easily but we gave them their toughest test of the campaign. It’s bitterly disappointing not to have got a draw because we restricted Germany for most of the game and deserved something from it.”

Byrne claims she got off on the wrong foot with referee Carina Vitulano.

Two minutes after being booked for time-wasting, the Italian ignored a clear foul on Byrne by Lotzen on her way to scoring Germany’s 84th-minute second.

“I don’t think the referee liked me at all,” she said. “There is no grey area when a goalkeeper has the ball knocked out of their hands. And, for the penalty, she didn’t even blow the whistle before their player took it. Had I been set up properly, I might have done better.”

Ireland’s first-choice custodian accepted full responsibility for conceding the winning goal.

She said: “It’s one I’ll lose sleep over because I was planning to collect a cross and the wind took the ball over my head.”

IRELAND: Byrne; De Burca, Quinn, Campbell, Perry; Smyth (Grant 58), Gorman (Caldwell 86); Á O’Gorman, D O’Sullivan; JA Russell; F O’Sullivan.

GERMANY: Angerer; Schmidt, Krahn, Henning, Kemme (Lotzen 46); Kessler (Popp 70) Goeslling; Laudehr, Marozsán, Behringer (Leupolz 59); Mittag.

Referee: C Vitulano (Italy).