Denise O'Sullivan: Keeping her eyes on the prize

One game at a time — if ever the old mantra applied, it’s to the tantalising situation the Irish women’s team find themselves in as they prepare for back-to-back World Cup qualifiers in Tallaght.

Next Tuesday’s clash with European champions the Netherlands might be the box-office attention-grabber but, first, there’s this afternoon’s meeting with Group 3’s basement side Slovakia to be negotiated.

Anything less than three points would have to be regarded as a blow, especially since the Irish have already beaten the Slovaks 2-0 away in the second game of a campaign which has also seen them beat Northern Ireland away and, in a result which sent shock waves through Europe, hold the star-studded Dutch scoreless in Nijmegan in November.