Denise O'Sullivan: 'It was probably an insult to us that France made 11 changes'
UNDERESTIMATED: Ireland’s Denise O'Sullivan celebrates after the match. Pic Credit ©INPHO/James Crombie.
Ireland’s mammy on the camp was instrumental in delivering the mother of all scalps against aristocrats France, doing so before 18,399 fans at SuperValu Páirc Uà Chaoimh.
A first senior international in Cork since 2011 burst into life when Knocknaheeny’s finest Denise O’Sullivan buried her low shot home on 66 minutes, followed nine minutes later with a peach from Julie-Ann Russell.
She’s the Galwegian who thought her international career was over after earning her 60th cap four years ago.
Life veering outside of football brought her to a career in IT and starting a family, but she’s returned with aplomb in the last week — scoring on her two comeback games.
Although the second best team in the world reduced the arrears with 11 minutes left through Vicki Bècho, Anna Patten crowned a 3-1 victory with a stoppage-time header.
To put the magnitude of the result in context, only the world champions Spain and Euro holders England have beaten the French in their past 19 matches.
How timely their first win of the campaign is, bouncing Ireland into the Euro playoffs in October with the biggest scalp of the year pocketed.
Only needing a point to be sure of a seeded playoff draw on Friday, Ireland exceeded expectations. In such a daunting group, any minor mercy must be capitalised on.
Hervé Renard gifted one by making Ireland’s path to an elusive win that bit easier in overhauling his France starting team.
In Gallic circles, the Olympics trumps the World Cup in the current cycle — for France has the privilege and pressure of hosting the games next week.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored the only goal of the last meeting with Ireland, and yet all she could talk about once their Euro place was sealed on Friday was the Olympics.
She was belatedly brought on for a rescue mission, albeit to no avail.
That Renard won’t be around next year’s showpiece in Switzerland, electing to bow out at Olympics, has him prioritising a home run too.
“It was probably an insult to us that France made 11 changes, and they underestimated us,” said O’Sullivan afterwards.
“We definitely shocked them.”
Eileen Gleeson’s aversion to talent in a league she cut her coaching teeth on — local gem Eva Mangan didn’t make the 23 — has been a source of frustration, but she’s adopted an exception in resurrecting Russell’s international career.
The pair go back over a decade and the player’s dedication to fitness — running marathons after giving birth to Rosie last year — coupled with her role in Galway’s rise to title contenders, cultivated this comeback for the ages.
Captain Katie McCabe returned from suspension and the last of the quartet was Louise Quinn, a straight swap for centre-back Niamh Fahey.
While the pitch was narrowed from the usual GAA measurements, the vast expanse of grass left on either side presented scope for Megan Campbell to wind up her specialist throw-ins.
Fitness once again conspired against her starting, and the flow of the game didn’t necessitate a Plan B.
Buoyed by the raucous crowd that converged on the banks of the Lee from the afternoon, Ireland were at it from the off.
Indeed, had Leanne Kiernan read a slide rule pass from local heroine O’Sullivan after just two minutes, they would have been through on goal.
Instead, it was a fitful first-half, pockmarked by bouts of disjointed passing and scrappy fouls.
McCabe, unusually deployed in midfield, didn’t make her presence known.
It was no surprise that she swapped with Jess Ziu into the wing-back berth at the interval.
Ziu dragged her 17th minute shot wide, before Kiernan posed the first test of Constance Picaud with an angled shot the goalkeeper spilled across her six-yard box.
From Ireland’s only corner approaching the break, there were appeals for a penalty when Caitlin Hayes’ header brushed the arm of Maelle Lakrar.
Shorn of their trademark effervescence, France introduced at the break Delphine Cascarino to flank her twin sister Estelle.
Within 20 seconds of the restart, she was haring down the right flank towards goal. If the shot was crisp, Courtney Brosnan’s save was similarly stellar — pushing the ball away from danger.
Picaud wasn’t so accurate when turning away Ziu’s strike moments later, only for Russell to scuff the rebound straight in her hands.
That would be the last time Ireland wasted an opportunity. O’Sullivan got the party started by latching onto Russell’s layoff and driving at the defence.
Spotting options on either side, the Leesider still opted to unleash a 20-yard shot that squirted through the goalkeeper’s grasp and into the far corner.
That combination was reversed for the second time nine minutes later, the goal originating from Brosnan’s kick-off.
When the ball broke loose, O’Sullivan lofted it high for Russell to attack the space.
She had the wherewithal to skip inside the last defender and find the far top corner with her left foot.
France’s prowess finally bore fruit with 11 minutes to go, when a couple of passes led to a square ball which Vicki Bècho eventually bundled over the line, but the cushion was restored in stoppage-time.
Fittingly, Cork native Megan Connolly made an instant impact off the bench by delivering a set-piece which Anna Patten rose highest to head into the top corner.
After this, the Cork contingent in the squad were requesting Ireland permanently relocate to the Páirc. Cheers to that.
C Brosnan; A Mannion, A Patten, L Quinn, C Hayes, J Ziu (A Barrettt 90+2); R Littlejohn (L Agg 55), D O’Sullivan, K McCabe; JA Russell, L Kiernan (M Connolly 87).
C Picaud; E PĂ©risset, M Lakrar (G Geyoro 62), T Samoura, E Cascarino (E De Almeida 63); A Henry, S Bacha, L Le Garrec (MA Katoto 81); S Baltimore (D Cascarino 46), V Becho, J Dufour (K Diani 70).
Olatz Rivera Olmedo (Spain).
18,399.
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