Irish women must win in Montenegro to keep European qualification hopes intact

Ireland’s women’s soccer team cannot afford any slips in Montenegro today if they’re to keep alive their European qualification ambitions.

Montenegro, the group’s bottom side, held second-placed Finland to a narrow 1-0 victory in their opening game last September, but they’ve since shipped 13 goals over two heavy defeats against Spain and Portugal.

With Sue Ronan’s team facing Spain in Madrid on Tuesday, nothing but three points will suffice in Petrovac today (1pm) to complete the first half of the campaign in contention for qualification.