Megan Connolly and Denise O'Sullivan fire Ireland to famous Finland victory
Ireland's Megan Connolly celebrates with fellow goalscorer Denise O'Sullivan (left) and her team-mates after scoring her side's first goal during the Fifa Women's World Cup 2023 Qualifying Group A match between Finland and Republic of Ireland at Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Ireland’s Cork connection delivered in spades in Finland as goals from Megan Connolly and Denise O’Sullivan gave Vera Pauw’s side a major early boost in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Taking points from the second seeds will be essential for Ireland to aspire for the playoff spot behind roaring favourites Sweden and they did better than claim just the one on the road.
Despite Adelina Engman cancelling out Connolly’s 10th-minute opener early in the second half, Denise O’Sullivan pounced to nick the winner on 57 minutes for the three points.
Up next for Ireland are two home matches next month against lower seeds Slovakia and Georgia, bringing them to the midway stage of the campaign.
Pauw stuck with the same team that lost 1-0 to Sweden in last Thursday’s campaign opener, making only a couple of positional changes. Áine O'Gorman returned to her favoured right-back berth, with Katie McCabe dropping into the left-sided role she vacated.
While Ireland lost the creativity of McCabe in midfield, Jamie Finn’s deployment to the engine-room brought with it nous and punch to shadow the driving runs of Emmi Alanen.
Pauw’s persistence with the back-three structure offered space for O'Gorman and McCabe to assist the attack and they got forward in the early exchanges, signalling Ireland’s intent.
The Finns were in celebratory mode prior to kick-off, launching a dazzling light show to mark the return of the women’s team to their national stadium for the first time in eight years.
Tinja-Riikka Korpela was, in particular, heaped with the acclaim, her feat of reaching a century of caps in Thursday’s win over Georgia recognised with a presentation by Anna Signeul.
Her manager would have preferred if her goalkeeper’s handling skills were evident in the match that ensued, for she should have done better for Ireland’s goals.
A bright opening formed the precursor for Ireland’s opener.
O’Gorman had seen her shot blocked and Louise Quinn was marginally too late to connect with a corner but Heather Payne’s ferocious shot which struck Ria Öling’s arm earned a free-kick on the edge of the box.
Standing over the ball were Katie McCabe, Lucy Quinn, and Connolly – all free-kick specialists in their own right – but the position suited a right-footer and up stepped the latter. Rather than fire through the gap in the wall, the Brighton midfielder curled her shot over it, striking the underside of the crossbar and flying in off Korpela’s desperate attempted punch.
That quietened the strong home support and they had little to be excited about as Ireland held firm. The first hint of the hosts’ threat, though, did materialise on 16 minutes when Connolly switched off from a throw-in to allow Engman drift into space but her 20-yard shot was wayward.
Connolly got back into the groove defensively by deflecting Natalia Kuikka’s shot over while Linda Sällström was unusually profligate when directing a free header wide on 27 minutes.
A barrage of Finland corners were floated in to test Brosnan but only Kuikka came close by nodding inside the six-yard box.
Up the other end, McCabe’s cross was met by Finn, who couldn’t generate the power on her header to trouble Korpela.
Ireland’s only major concern in that first half was a knock O’Sullivan shipped on her knee but it was just as well she recovered to play on.
It was during another spell of medical treatment being applied to McCabe that Finland equalised. Engman had been putting her foot in on quite a lot of players and one such late challenge left the Ireland captain in agony.
She was off the pitch when her unguarded flank was exploited - Tuija Hyyrynen dashing down the wing to cross for Engman to meet with a side-footed volley through the grasp of Brosnan.
The game could have swung further away from Ireland within moments had Alanen been alert to meet a right-wing delivery but a mere five minutes elapsed before they regained the lead. A flowing move started by O’Gorman saw Finn and Payne combine down the right with the US-based attacker getting to the end-line and clipping in a cross.
Korpela could only fumble the delivery and there to head the ball over the line in front of Hyyrynen was O’Sullivan.
McCabe flashed a late shot wide on the run with 20 minutes left as Ireland sensed a third goal but it required Niamh Fahey’s goal-line clearance from Linda Sällström with four minutes left to avoid conceding a second leveller.
TR Korpela; T Hyyrynen, A Westerlund, N Kuikka, E Koivisto; A Engman, E Alanen, E Summanen, R Öling (E Sainio 86); S Franssi, L Sällström (A Rantananen 89).
C Brosnan; N Fahey, Louise Quinn, S McCarthy; Á O'Gorman, J Finn, D O’Sullivan, M Connolly, K McCabe; H Payne, Lucy Quinn (R Jarrett 75).
Alexandra Collin (France).
5,271.
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