Ceri Holland's extra time winner sets up Ireland showdown for place at Women's Euros 2025

Wales' Ceri Holland celebrates scoring the winner. Photo credit: Nick Potts/PA Wire.

Ireland and Wales played their first-ever international game against each other in 1973 and they’ll face each other for a first-ever Euros qualification.

Slovakia had raced into a two-goal lead during Friday’s first-leg in Poprad, Martina Surnovska’s curler early in the second half added to by Maria Mikolajova’s stylish free-kick but Ffion Morgan’s late response made it 2-1 at the midway point.

In the return leg at the Cardiff City Stadium, watched on by their Irish chief executive Noel Mooney and men’s manager Craig Bellamy, they had their lynchpin Jess Fishlock back from injury.

Two centurions combined to bring them level on aggregate, captain Angharad James feeding her Seattle Reign teammate Fishlock who displayed her composure to lift the ball over the advancing Mária Korenčiová.

Slovakia sat deep, prepared to operate on the counter, but they were lucky to avoid falling behind in the tie. Remarkably, Fishlock had two goals disallowed for offside.

Slovak substitute Tamara Moravkova could have punished the hosts on the break, only to drag her shot wide from outside the box with seven minutes left.

There was only one team looking to avoid penalties in extra-time and the winner eventually arrived with six minutes left. Again, the offside flag was raised after Ceri Holland finished off a shot from Kayleigh Barton which smacked the post but a VAR review awarded the goal.

Wales – managed by Canadian Rhian Wilkinson – will host Ireland in the first leg at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday, November 29, with the return leg at Lansdowne Road on Tuesday, December 3.

Qualified teams for Euros in July 2025

Switzerland (hosts)

League A winners: Germany, Spain, Italy, France.

League A runners-up: Iceland, Denmark, Netherlands, England.

Playoff finals (Friday, Nov 29 and Tuesday, Dec 3):

Poland v Austria

Scotland v Finland

Ukraine v Belgium

Wales v Ireland

Portugal v Czech Republic

Northern Ireland v Norway

Serbia v Sweden.