Carusa gives Ward a winning debut but Turkish resilience signals Nations League stroll is over

SMILES BETTER: Ireland’s Kyra Carusa celebrates scoring the only goal of the game. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Uefa Women's Nations League League B, Group 2: Rep of Ireland 1 (Carusa 45+3’) Turkey 0

If this is anything to go by, there’ll be no repeat stroll through Uefa Nations League B for Ireland.

Although Carla Ward’s opening match will be remembered for victory, it was only just against a Turkish side who were inches from blotting the new reign.

Kyra Carusa grabbed the only goal in one of the few moments of quality, a passage in first-half stoppage time that entailed Marissa Sheva teeing up Heather Payne to cross for the American to nod her 10th international goal.

A new era brought more a change of formation than selection. When Ward referred to evolution rather than revolution on the eve of the match, she might have been overstating it, for just one member of her starting XI was born in this century. That Payne – at 25 – was winning her 50th cap emphasised the newcomer’s reliance on experience and nous.

Other than fellow 25-year-old Anna Patten and Marissa Sheva at 27, eight of the team were 29 and older. And that was after three retirements since the last campaign.

The new manager did note the calibre of what’s coming next after watching a development squad take on Ireland’s U19s on Wednesday but it seems they’ll be kept waiting while those already within the squad loosen their elbows to jostle for exposure.

Ruesha Littlejohn might be the eldest at 34 and currently unemployed but it appears she’ll form the bedrock of Ward’s masterplan. The pair worked together during Ward’s last stint as boss, at Aston Villa, and the reunion was sharp and swift – Littlejohn tasked with the screening role in front of defence within a 4-1-4-1 formation.

Predecessor Eileen Gleeson deviated only from a back-five during a friendly window this time last year, soon abandoned, while Vera Pauw and Colin Bell before her adopted the same tactic to both optimise the options and solidify the backline.

This regime opted for a different structural method and it will only be early next year, as the World Cup qualifiers start against higher-seeded options, when will we learn if this is her hallmark.

Despite her deep position, Littlejohn showed in the last window, the first leg of the Euro playoff away to Wales, how lethal she can be from distance.

She would display that trait again but not before the Turkish began brightly. There might be 34 places between them in FIFA's rankings but the visitors were brisk from the outset, an early corner proving they were in Dublin to make an impression.

Littlejohn’s first shot from distance was a speculative one, unleashed first-time after a bout of defensive hesitancy but clearing the bar by a yard. Soon after, she tested the goalkeeper with a low curler, forcing Selda Akgoz to stoop low and bat away to her left.

Alan Mahon is the Irish link in Ward’s backroom staff and the ex-Ireland midfielder became most animated when set-piece opportunities arose.

Evidently, the first pair of his rehearsed corners by Katie McCabe didn’t go to plan but they could also rely on Megan Campbell’s throw-ins as a weapon from dead ball situations.

Her most effective scud arrived on 21 minutes, the catapult from the player redeployed to centre-back knocked by Carusa. When the loose ball fell to Denise O’Sullivan on the edge of the box, she drilled it past the goalkeeper but not Busem Seker who cleared the attempt off the line.

Seker will remember her trip to Dublin, not just for that and the head wound she sustained moments later that required a wraparound bandage but she almost pinched a point with 20 minutes left.

A corner won by the Turks was a rare frisson in an otherwise tepid second half but her delivery looped up in the air and, helped by breeze, flew over Courtney Brosnan’s head.

Thankfully for Ward and Ireland, Campbell anticipated the threat and nodded the ball off the goalline. The manager did try to enliven the contest by introducing Abbie Larkin and Amber Barrett and the latter – still recalled as the player who sealed World Cup qualification – got one sight but was unable to apply a proper connection as the ball strayed from her control.

Ireland survived another scare in stoppage time from a deep free-kick. Somehow substitute Arzu Karabulut poked the ball wide from a yard with the goal at her mercy.

Where the contest did generate controversy was McCabe once again attracting attention from the referee. She was booked for apparently time-wasting before arguing with the Hungarian official again two minutes later following a cynical shove into the back of O’Sullivan. No further action and she'll lead the team into Tuesday's trip to Slovenia.

New Ireland manager Carla Ward was impressed by O'Sullivan and her performance throughout the game. 

"I just went up to her now and said, 'what a performance'. That performance out there tonight was different level, she is a top, top player. 

"She's got an abundance of quality, she was struggling the last 10 minutes, hobbling around, but she's been an absolute joy and a pleasure to work with."

IRELAND: C Brosnan; A Mannion, A Patten, M Campbell (C Hayes 87), K McCabe: R Littlejohn (M Connolly 77); H Payne, D O’Sullivan, M Sheva, L Quinn (A Larkin 62); K Carusa (A Barrett 62).

TURKEY: S Akgoz; F Sakar, G Hiz, S Abrahamsson, I Civelek; E Topcu, M Cal; E Keskin, E Turkoglu, B Seker; M Pekel.

Referee: R Molnar (Hungary) 

Attendance: 8,071.

ends