Stalemate for Pauw's Ireland as new recruits feature
ATTACKING OPTION: Marissa Sheva of Republic of Ireland in action against Zhang Lin Yan of China PR during the international friendly match between China PR and Republic of Ireland at Estadio Nuevo Mirador in Algeciras, Spain. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Ireland will be guaranteed to go 12 months without conceding a goal after a drab stalemate against China in Spain.
That’s about the best takeaway from this encounter as both teams looked every bit the units playing their first official game for three months.
As neat and tidy as the Chinese were, they lacked punch when it mattered – unlike the USA team Ireland face next in April as their build-up to the World Cup intensifies.
As promised by Vera Pauw, two of three newly-declared recruits were handed debuts from the start.
Niamh Fahey’s injury-enforced absence created a gap for Aoife Mannion to occupy alongside Louise Quinn and Megan Connolly in the central defensive trinity.
Deborah-Anne De La Harpe also got the nod, slotting into the right-wing berth ahead of one of Pauw’s favourites, Jamie Finn.
Mannion enjoyed the better of the introduction. Australian-born De La Harpe struggled to make an impact, caught upfield too many times, frequently dispossessed and wayward in her passing.
By contrast, Mannion looked an assured presence, recovering from a couple of early lapses to become dominant in both boxes and deservedly claim the Player of the Match award.
Manchester United’s surge to the top of the WSL have left her awaiting a breakthrough since recovering her second ACL injury and Pauw was conscious of fitness levels when withdrawing midway through the second half.
She’d showed enough to suggest she’s well in the frame not just to board the plane to Australia but be a starter at the World Cup.
Her debut might even have been franked with a goal, only for referee Jason Barcello to spot a push on goalkeeper Xu Huan when nodding past her from Katie McCabe’s 63rd minute free-kick.
Her fellow defender Louise Quinn was the other Irish player who came closest to nicking the victory on 19 minutes.
From another McCabe cross, this time through a corner, the Birmingham City captain ghosted in at the back post to thump a header which crashed off the crossbar.
China, ranked 14 in the world and also preparing for the summer showpiece with a camp in Spain, also relied on aerial power to threaten.
Wang Shanshan almost nodded them ahead on 14 minutes, drifting into the box to connect with a right-wing centre but couldn’t direct her effort on target.
Courtney Brosnan was otherwise seldom troubled, Yao Lingwei’s shot she easily gathered the height of her first-half exertions.
She did have to be alert with 14 minutes left to thwart a snapshot on the turn by Lou Jiahui after the striker spun into the six-yard box.
American-born Marissa Sheva was the third debutant, unleashed for the second half and added a different dimension with her pace and trickery.
Still, not even a deluge of Megan Campbell throw-ins, the last of them agonisingly creeping past the far post, could extract Ireland a goal.
That deficit will be academic once they sharpen up for the real tests later in the year.
X Huan; L Mengwen, W Xiaoxue, W Linlin; C Qiaozhu; Y Lingwei, Z Rui, Z Xin, X Yuyi; W Shanshan, L Jiahui.
C Brosnan; A Mannion (D Caldwell 68), Louise Quinn, M Connolly ; DA De La Harpe (Á O’Gorman 46), L Agg (R Littlejohn 46), D O’Sullivan, M Campbell; A Larkin (M Sheva 46), K McCabe; H Payne (K Carusa 75).
Jason Barcello (GIB).
76.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
