Ireland head into Uefa Nations League playoffs despite Leeside win
Ireland's Saoirse Noonan celebrates scoring her side' winning goal. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Saoirse Noonan’s winner on this Cork homecoming registered a victory for Ireland but not by sufficient margin to dislodge Slovenia for an automatic place in League A of the World Cup qualifiers.
Just under 10,000 were at Pairc Uí Chaoimh to see Noonan add a second international goal to the first she scored in 2021 but Ireland required another three to salvage top spot in a group they were favourites for.
Instead, they must navigate a playoff in October against a League A teams among Denmark, Austria, Iceland or Belgium to be assured of a fallback playoff route to Brazil in 2027.
They will discover their opposition in Friday’s draw but Anna Patten will be suspended after incurring another booking as frustration set in.
In truth, Ireland have been playing catch-up since their second game of the campaign resulted in a shock 4-0 defeat to the Slovenians.
Performances have been erratic since as a goalless first-half in Greece was followed by a deluge of four unanswered goals in the second.
The return against the lowest-ranked side in the pool was equally fitful, as they held out for a 2-1 win, and the worrying signs continued during Friday’s trip to Turkey.
Ireland were 11 minutes from losing in Istanbul until the Turks imploded, conceding an own-goal and gifting the visitors a late winner.
Emily Murphy was the gleeful recipient of that present and her goalscoring impact as a substitute earned a start in Carla Ward’s reshuffled side.
Not just a win but a comprehensive win constituted a target dependent on firepower and the manager opted to promote both Kyra Carusa and Saoirse Noonan into her attack.
Going with a partnership was a relatively new departure for the manager, as was operating with three at the back, but needs must in the circumstances and it proved effective.
This was Ireland’s turn to bat and clocking up goals instead of runs was their objective.
Defenders were in the thick of the aerial barrage, with Patten first to threaten with a fifth minute poked volley straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.
Abbie Larkin was next to test Zala Mersnik by cutting in from the left and drilling a shot which the stopper stooped low to repel.
Pressure was building and the breakthrough soon arrived on 19 minutes.
When Denise O’Sullivan and Murphy collided in attempting to connect with Katie McCabe’s left-wing cross, it seemed the chance was lost but the latter dashed to retrieve the ball.
Once she prevented it rolling out of play, the ball was teed up for defender Jessie Stapleton to loft a high cross into the box.
Her delivery hung long enough in the air for Noonan to elude her marker and plant a thumping header from 10 yards that flew beyond the reach of Mersnik.
Hordes of green shirts flooded into the final third in the hope of using that opener as a stimulus and while Patten jabbed a volley wide Ireland still had to be wary of the counter.
Lara Prašnikar, who’d scored a brace in Koper, almost exposed Ireland’s high line by nipping in behind but Courtney Brosnan did well to bat her shot away.
It was much the same in the second half with Ireland overloading the wings without peppering the goal.
With a bit more conviction, Ireland might have neared their target. Stapleton’s header from McCabe’s cross five minutes after the interval was more of a glance, as was another from Caitlin Hayes with 17 minutes left.
Murphy’s shot was parried and the introduction of Megan Campbell added the throw-in dimension Ireland have become increasingly dependent on. Just once did it threaten with a scud towards fellow substitute Marissa Sheva but the goalkeeper smothered well.
IRELAND: C Brosnan; J Stapleton (M Campbell 62), C Hayes, A Patten; E Murphy, M Connolly, D O’Sullivan, K McCabe, A Larkin (Louise Quinn 80); K Carusa (M Sheva 80), S Noonan (A Barrett 62).
SLOVENIA: Z Mersnik; K Erzen, L Golob, D Conc, S Agrez; S Makovec, L Prasnikar, K Korosec, S Kolbi, Z Kramzar (M Zver 88); M Sternad (N Kajzba 68).
Referee: Miriama Bockova (Slovakia) Attendance: 9,433.
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