Ward and McCabe eye Turkish delight to kickstart new era

The Girls in Green aim to start as they mean to go on under the former Villa boss.

NEW DIRECTION: Head coach Carla Ward and Katie McCabe during a Republic of Ireland women's press conference on Thursday.  Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

A landmark occasion marked the beginning of the last managerial era but you sense the FAI are just as anxious to kick Carla Ward’s tenure off despite less fanfare.

The games are identical in status – the beginning of a Nations League B campaign – but instead of the 35,944 who attended Lansdowne Road for Eileen Gleeson’s opener against Northern Ireland, around 8,000 are expected at Tallaght for Turkey’s visit.