Quick-fire Malard brace ensures France secure come-from-behind win over Ireland
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR: Republic of Ireland's Denise O'Sullivan (centre) and team-mates rue a missed chance. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire.
Marie‑Antoinette Katoto earned France their last win over Ireland and repeated the trick in a different way at Tallaght.
While her goal in Metz won the 2024 Euro qualifier in Metz, it was the striker’s goalline clearance from Denise O’Sullivan’s stoppage-time close-range shot that denied Ireland what would have been a deserved equaliser.
Ireland have long gone beyond heroic defeats but this felt like one that got away. Cuteness by the wily French ultimately told in the end.
Leading the opening World Cup qualifier before a crowd of 8,376 through Katie McCabe’s 32nd international goal, Ireland couldn’t complete the shock due to Melvine Malard firing a seven-minute brace.
The Manchester United striker revived an ailing French attack within moments of coming on, skipping past McCabe and Chloe Mustaki to bury the equaliser with 19 minutes left.
Ireland’s inability to clear a corner seven minutes later allowed the forward to swivel in the box and make it 2-1 for the group’s top seeds.
Carla Ward’s Ireland side head to Utrecht to face the Netherlands on Saturday seeking to claim something from their first of three double-headers in this campaign.
“There is a lot of pride there,” stressed Ward, now a year into her tenure.
“We left everything out there. It hurts but we pushed for the goal late on. We nearly got it against one of the best teams in the world.” This is a French side that won their first 10 games of 2025, only losing their streak on sudden death penalties to Germany in the Euro quarter-final.
Conventional wisdom decreed they would make light work of the fourth seeds in the group but it didn’t unravel in that fashion.
Poland holding the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw earlier in the day – when they led through Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor – added further credence to the growing perception of this pool being far from a two-horse race between the fifth and sixth best nations in Europe.
Ireland didn’t perform like a team situated 20 places behind their visitors in Fifa’s standings.
Carla Ward selected a team leaning on physical attributes, leading to Jessie Stapleton making way from the line-up that conquered Belgium last November for Anna Patten.
Ruesha Littlejohn’s status as a mainstay of Ward’s midfield, even at club level before she migrated onto the international beat, was parked to facilitate the return of Megan Connolly. Her presence fused the midfield into a Cork combo alongside Denise O’Sullivan.
Both were integral to a first-half showing from Ireland which proved Ireland can cut it with the best.
Aoife Mannion’s shove on Perle Morroni inside 10 seconds let the French know a battle awaited them before an O’Sullivan through-ball on three minutes informed them of the technical threat.
The new Liverpool recruit threaded a pass for Emily Murphy to rampage clear towards goal between two defenders until one of them slid in from behind. Elisa De Almeida’s lunge scythed down Murphy, incurred a booking but offered Ireland an early sight of goal from 20 yards.
Connolly, rather than McCabe, floated the free over the wall and it required Constance Picaud to dive full-stretch and punch away. From the corner, the stand-in ‘keeper should have tested again when McCabe fed the ball back into the box but Patten’s header lacked power.
Ireland continued in the ascendancy, with Patten’s long diagonal pass finding Murphy in space.
Her shot was off-balance and dealt with by the FC Fleury goalkeeper's reflexes.
Kadidiatou Diani cut a frustrated figure for the French in attack, failing to be provided with her usual service and their frowns were pronounced from slipping behind.
De Almeida was the visiting player exposed by McCabe’s trademark overlapping run. Once the Arsenal dynamo placed a pass into Murphy’s feet, she dashed from her half beyond her teammate to receive the layoff.
The exchange of passes has French style written all over it and so did the Irish captain’s low finish.
Amid the afterglow, McCabe incurred what’s renowned as her customary booking for a late challenge on De Almeida.
It was a tackle by O’Sullivan on Morroni on the other side that had the Irish bench concerned. The strapping on her knee signified trouble but although Abbie Larkin was readied to come on, O’Sullivan shook off the knock.
It took Malard to rescue the French, leaving the Lyon pairing of Katoto and Diani in the shade with her clinical finishes. As poor as Ireland were to leave the gaps, the 25-year-old’s agility in pouncing must be credited.
Still, Ireland had two handball claims for a penalty rejected late on before O’Sullivan came within a whisker away from eking out a point.
Bottom of the table after one game but with plenty to build a foundation upon.
C Brosnan; A Patten, C Hayes, C Mustaki; A Mannion, D O'Sullivan, M Connolly (A Barrett 85), K McCabe; E Murphy M Sheva; K Carusa (A Larkin 70).
C Picaud; E De Almeida (M Malard 69), G Mbock-Bathy, M Lakrar, P Morroni (A Ebayilin 69); G Geyoro, Oriane Jean‑Francois; K Diani (A Sombath 86), S Karchaoui, S Baltimore; C Mateo (MA Katoto 46).
Tess Olofsson (SWE).
: 8,376.
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