Ireland suffer worst defeat in seven years as Slovenia score four
EMERGENCY WARD: Republic of Ireland head coach Carla Ward and assistant head coach Alan Mahon during the UEFA Women's Nations League B match between Slovenia and Republic of Ireland at Bonifika Stadium in Koper, Slovenia. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Ireland suffered their heaviest defeat for seven years and their first Nations League loss ever as slick Slovenia grabbed their statement win in style.
Despite the hosts sitting 14 places behind 25th-ranked Ireland in Fifa’s listings, Slovenia dominated from the third minute since Lara Prasnikar raced clear to smash the ball high over Courtney Brosnan’s head.
Denise O’Sullivan saw her shot pawed away by Zala Mersnik but otherwise Ireland were second best throughout, unable to utilise the strengths of captain Katie McCabe operating in an advanced role.
Prasnikar is a Bundesliga regular for Eintracht Frankfurt but it was Zara Kramžar proving equally menacing in the second game of Carla Ward’s Ireland tenure.
Part of the back-to-back Serie A champions Roma’s squad, the first 2006-born player to ever feature in the Italian top-flight lofted the pass through for Prasnikar to slot home.
Prasnikar then got across Anna Patten from Kaja Korošec’s corner from the right to hook a volley past Brosnan on 28 minutes before Ireland were serrated again six minutes later.
This time Kramžar, who only turned 19 last month, tapped in on the goal-line.
Maja Sternad had supplied the assist and she was denied scoring herself on the stroke of the interval when she charged through gaps to get a sight.
Thankfully for Brosnan, the shot didn’t carry the angle to find the corner, enabling the Everton stopper to bat it away.
Ward drafted Marissa Sheva and Tyler Toland in at the break, thereby abandoning the McCabe experiment in reverting her to left-back, but Ireland hardly troubled Mersnik.
Instead, it was the hosts who rattled the net – substitute Nina Kajzba rifling her left-footer across Brosnan after Spela Kolbi brushed off McCabe just inside the box.
Almost immediately, O’Sullivan – on a booking from the first half – managed to clip the crossbar with a rising shot, following up the rebound of Lucy Quinn’s saved effort.
She had earlier struggled to generate power from a McCabe cross, resulting in the shot being an easy save for the home custodian.
Both teams opened the campaign with wins on Friday but this result will give Slovenia the upperhand in the quest for promotion to League A and an easier route to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
Next up for Ireland is a double-header against Greece in April before concluding against Turkey (away) and Slovenia (home) in May/June.
Z Mersnik; K Erze, L Golob, D Conc, I Krizaj (K Janez 70); S Makovec, L Prasnikar, K Korosec, Z Kramzar (N Kajzba 62); M Sternad, S Kolbi.
C Brosnan; A Mannion, A Patten, M Connolly, K McCabe: H Payne (T Toland 46), R Littlejohn (M Sheva 46), D O’Sullivan, L Quinn; K Carusa, A Barrett (A Larkin 66).
Michalina Diakow (POL).
533.
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