Deflected strike breaks Irish hearts despite brave effort
Jonna Andersson of Sweden clears the ball ahead of Niamh Fahey of Republic of Ireland during the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 qualifier. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Ireland were unable to torpedo the yellow submarine of Sweden in their opening Women’s World Cup qualifier at Tallaght, losing to a cruel own-goal from Louise Quinn.
The defender had bagged the winner in last month’s win over Australia but was helpless to prevent hitting her own net from Stina Blackstenius’ shot that was going wide on 39 minutes.
Victory for the Olympic silver medalists make it a perfect nine-point haul from their opening three matches. Finland, whom Ireland visit on Tuesday in Helsinki, are on a maximum six points too, having eased past Georgia in today’s other Group A fixture.
As expected, Vera Pauw restored Megan Connolly to her midfield in the only change to the team which started last month’s 3-2 win over Australia. She opted for a positional change though, redeploying Jamie Finn from her usual midfield patrol to right wing-back. That involved Áine O'Gorman switching to the left, allowing captain Katie McCabe to operate more centrally and advanced.
For the Swedes, the injury-enforced absence of captain Caroline Seger created a vacancy in midfield for Hanna Bennison to fill and it was through the Everton teen that the visitors tried to channel their attacks.
Sharp, intricate passing movements through the centre of a conventional 4-3-3 formation, rather than relying on width, form the hallmark of the Swedes’ success and they stuck to their task despite Pauw’s clear ploy of congesting that area.
Deft balls over the top were the threat of choice for Peter Gerhardsson’s side and Courtney Brosnan dashed from her line after only two minutes to intercept a pass for Lina Hurtig.
Blackstenius, with pace to burn, was the main target and she opted to test Brosnan after only seven minutes after breaking clear.
As Ireland would later discover, the BK Hacken likes to cut inside onto her right foot, which swept her past Niamh Fahey, but the low shot was repelled by the Everton goalkeeper.
Three minutes later, McCabe gave the restricted capacity crowd of 4,017 something to shout about by receiving Lucy Quinn’s crossfield pass 25 yards and spearing a left foot shot towards goal.
Hedvig Lindahl watched the effort whistle wide and the goalkeeper was a spectator for the rest of the first half as the Swedes dominated possession without carrying a clinical edge.
Blackstenius did manage to stab a volley from a right-wing cross which Brosnan caught and the striker had a penalty claim denied on 20 minutes when she hit the deck under the challenge of Finn. Replays showed contact but delaying her fall when her sight of goal was obscured may have gone against her in the eyes of Deborah Anex.
The Swiss referee wasn’t having any of Ireland’s appeals in the opposite box either when Louise Quinn was closely marshalled by Jonna Andersson from McCabe’s throw-in.
Similar to the Australia victory, Heather Payne’s pace amounted to Ireland’s out-ball from the wave of pressure and she succeeded in winning the first corner on 27 minutes off Andersson.
However, the Swedes are functional at both ends of the pitch and were alive to Louise Quinn’s threat, her space to replicate the winner against the Aussies from McCabe’s corner closed off by being double-marked at the back post.
Another set-piece from the Arsenal playmaker for Quinn, a rehearsed free-kick, went awry too as Ireland struggled for traction in the final third.
Instead, Brosnan had to alert to turn over Filippa Angeldal’s 20-yard shot on 36 minutes, a prelude to the breakthrough three minutes later.
Ireland’s midfield block was dragged out of position when Angeldal broke from the halfway line and she swiftly fed Blackstenius through the centre. The striker’s first touch was heavy, taking her away from goal and while her shot looked to be veering off-target, it clipped the trailing leg of Quinn and trickled over the line.
Reeling from that unfortunate concession, the Girls in Green were still confident of mustering an equaliser but once again after the break, their inability to make set-pieces count left them working off scraps.
Lucy Quinn was in two minds on 50 minutes to shoot or pass from Connolly’s free-kick. In the end, the Birmingham City striker did neither on her competitive debut, cushioning a tame effort wide of the far post.
Likewise, another Connolly free from deep was wasted while McCabe’s 55th minute corner was just waiting for a connection.
That was as much as they could fashion, for Barcelona attacker Fridolina Rolfo squandered two chances to extend the winning margin. She blazed over on 65 minutes before two minutes later firing straight at Brosnan after jinking inside and out of Louise Quinn.
In her attempt to salvage a late equaliser, Pauw made a strange decision to move McCabe into the left wing-back outlet when facilitating a double-change that saw Leanne Kiernan and Amber Barrett were brought on.
That familiar Plan B of Louise Quinn being shunted up front – mimicking Shane Duffy’s versatility – was action without resulting in a similar outcome of plundering a leveller.
C Brosnan; N Fahey, Louise Quinn, S McCarthy; J Finn (L Kiernan 74), D O’Sullivan, M Connolly, K McCabe, Á O'Gorman; H Payne (A Barrett 74), Lucy Quinn (S Noonan 90+1).
H Lindahl; H Glas, A Ilestedt, M Eriksson, J Andersson; F Angeldahl, H Bennison (Zigiotti Olme 76), F Rolfo; S Jakobsson (N Fischer 88), S Blackstenius, L Hurtig (O Schough 61).
Deborah Anex (Switzerland).
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