Advantage Ireland after draw with Wales in Euro playoff first leg
REBOUND: Wales goalkeeper Olivia Clark is caught off her line by Ruesha Littlejohn's speculative effort to gift Ireland the equaliser at the Cardiff City Stadium. Pic: PHarry Murphy/Sportsfile
It will be Do or Dai for Ireland’s maiden European Championship finals hopes on Tuesday after staying level following this first leg.
Wales hit the front in Cardiff through Lily Woodham’s 20th-minute volley but Ruesha Littlejohn’s trusty right boot brought a leveller 15 minutes later that earned a psychological, if not a numerical, advantage for the Lansdowne Road return.
Although there was no winner at the end James McClean scored the goal to earn a men’s World Cup playoff in 2017, Ireland have another 90 minutes, potentially 120, in front of their home fans to complete the mission.
Considering this playoff, unlike Ireland’s last one in 2022, is over two legs, caution was likely to frame Eileen Gleeson’s selection.
In came veterans Littlejohn and Niamh Fahey, when younger options were available, and experience also applied when Heather Payne got the nod over Abbie Larkin to occupy the right-wing back.
Fahey withdrew from the team during the warm-up of the last meeting between the nations and suspicion of another hiccup when Jessie Stapleton was deployed in some of the defensive drills. It transpired to be a Plan B if, and probably when, they require reversion to a back-four.
Gleeson favouring the tried and tested for the away leg was natural but did tip the average age of the team above the 30 threshold. Payne, at 24, was their youngest starter.
Wales weren’t exactly youthful either, coming in at 28 by comparison.
Much of the weighting originates from having a 37-year-old in each team and the Welsh wonder Jess Fishlock was being watched closely by Littlejohn sitting deep in front of her defence.
As much as both camps downplayed the February win for Wales as a template, the havoc wreaked by Fishlock at Tallaght when afforded space had to be eradicated in this competitive repeat.
With Denise O’Sullivan and Lily Agg retreating to support Littlejohn when needed, there was a solidity to Ireland’s shape. They were content to place the onus on the hosts to take the initiative, one they eventually took.
Before the breakthrough goal, though, as the clock approached 10 minutes, a familiar sight of Ireland’s deadly duo combining roused the small knot of visiting fans nestled in the corner.
Katie McCabe’s advanced run produced a sight on goal but rather than shoot, squared for O’Sullivan 20 yards out. It was the best option but hesitation by the Cork native allowed the ball to be nicked from her toe.
A minute later, ruthlessness also eluded Julie-Ann Russell from closer range. Kyra Carusa’s header put the Galwegian through on goal, only for her to miscue the shot wide under pressure from Rhiannon Roberts.
Debate about McCabe’s optimal position for Ireland continues, partially influenced by her defensive deficiencies.
Ireland’s left wingback was nowhere to be seen as the opener was created down her side on 20 minutes. Liverpool’s Ceri Holland began the move by freeing Fishlock for a dash to the endline. Her low cross shouldn’t have passed Fahey but the defender’s wild swipe to clear was instead a flick-on for the alert Lily Woodham to sweep in ahead of Payne at the back post and drill her low volley beyond Courtney Brosnan.
Fahey raced straight into the net to collect the ball, eager to atone for her error. It would prove difficult for Ireland to gain traction in pursuit of the equaliser, frustrated by the scarcity of opportunities.
That was until Littlejohn took the matter into her own hands 10 minutes before the break. Home goalkeeper Olivia Clark had hardly been tested until the Glaswegian looked up 35 yards out and sensed an opening. Despite being 5’9” and a yard off her line, the goalkeeper ought to have palmed the spinning shot over the bar but could only get the slightest of touches onto the crossbar. That the ball rebounded into the net off her back meant the blunder was compounded with the ignominy of an own-goal.
Eight years on from her last goal, Littlejohn will have to wait that bit longer.
Still, she’s credited with supplying a catalyst just as the game looked to be drifting from Ireland. Moreover, it quietened a record crowd for a Wales home game – albeit three thousand short of the forecasted 20,000 turnout – and presented a platform to build for the second half.
This was a game there for the taking, evidenced by Gleeson replacing Agg with Marissa Sheva at the break.
Rhian Wilkinson thought the same, unleashing Carrie Jones for the second half and her 20-yard shot on the hour mark was angling towards the top corner until Brosnan shuffled her feet to scamper across and confidently catch the ball out of the air.
Ffion Morgan had also posed a threat, racing towards goal but unable to steer her curler the right side of the post.
For Ireland, McCabe’s deadball deliveries counted as their most potent threat of smuggling a winner. More often than now, however, too much power was packed into the crosses, dropping out of play or into the arms of Clark.
The custodian did go some way to making up for her clanger by repelling Caitlin Hayes with 14 minutes remaining. When the ball was bobbling around the box, the Celtic swung her left foot at it, requiring Clark to tip the rising shot over.
It was an otherwise turgid second half, enlivened briefly by a spat between Littlejohn and Fishlock which resulted in bookings for the pair.
Urgency for a winner will be reserved for Tuesday’s concluding leg.
O Clark; R Roberts, H Ladd, G Evans; C Holland (J Green 80), A James, A Griffiths (C Jones 46), L Woodham (C Estcourt 89); J Fishlock, R Rowe; F Morgan (K Barton 71).
C Brosnan; H Payne, C Hayes, N Fahey, A Patten, K McCabe: D O’Sullivan, R Littlejohn (J Stapleton 77), L Agg (M Sheva 46); JA Russell (L Kiernan 77), K Carusa (A Barrett 89).
Maria Caputi (ITA).
18,667.
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