A RECORD CROWD sent Ireland off to the World Cup, but in all, an encouraging start turned into a disappointing defeat to France at Tallaght Stadium.
A double-blow just before half-time all but ended this farewell friendly as a contest, as captain Katie McCabe emerged as an injury concern two weeks out from Ireland’s first-ever major tournament. They face Australia in their Sydney opener on 20 July.
(The official word from the FAI is that McCabe rolled her ankle, with the left-wing back’s substitution appearing precautionary.)
7,633 fans watched on on a windy, rainy night in Tallaght; fresh allegations against Vera Pauw overshadowing the occasion.
But the focus was on football here, as Pauw played what she perceives her strongest XI. US-born duo Sinead Farrelly and Marissa Sheva earned their home debuts, while Kyra Carusa started up top in a Player of the Match performance.
For all her efforts though, Ireland failed to hit the target — discounting an offside goal.
Megan Connolly was deployed as a centre-half alongside the excellent Louise Quinn and Niamh Fahey, while Ruesha Littlejohn was another headline inclusion, preferred to Lily Agg.
A tribute to the 1973 WNT team kickstarted a celebratory evening before a promising opening from Ireland kept with the theme. But that was turned on its head with goals from Maelle Lakrar (two) and Eugenie Le Sommer handing victory to the team ranked fifth in Fifa’s World rankings. Ireland may take issue with some questionable officiating, too.
GOAL – Full-back Maelle Lakrar opens her international account to give France the lead in first-half injury-time
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 6, 2023
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Their positive first-half performance was undone by two France goals just before the break. Lakrar and Le Sommer both hit the net in a nightmare injury time period for Pauw’s side. Lakrar added another in the second half, scoring her first two international goals on her third appearance, as France flexed their considerable muscle.
The full-back’s first goal was an awful one to concede. Their opener came on the stroke of 45 after some hapless defending, the Irish rearguard arguing for offside afterwards. Lakrar left Izzy Atkinson scrambling and fellow wing-back, Heather Payne’s dreadful clearance from the cross ricocheted off the fortuitous goalscorer and then Courtney Brosnan.
Their second was a quality finish from the electric Le Sommer three minutes later. Hervé Renard’s France were purring; Sandie Toltetti found Kenza Dali, and the Aston Villa ace turned Quinn before Le Sommer curled home.
Earlier in the half, the impressive Carusa had a goal controversially chalked off for offside. Farrelly headed on a launched ball from Brosnan, with Carusa finishing cooly past Pauline Peyraud-Magnin in the 11th minute, but the assistant referee’s flag was up.
Ireland have the ball in the net, but the offside flag goes up after Kyra Carusa’s tidy finish
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 6, 2023
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Ireland set the tone in Tallaght, trying to attack wide and finding joy down the left in particular with McCabe and the industrious Sheva linking up well. McCabe, typically, got stuck in and had some moments of brilliance, while the ball stuck and Karusa threatened as the game plan paid dividends.
Shortly after her disallowed goal, the London City Lionesses striker won a free on the edge of the box with Estelle Cascarino seeing yellow. Larkrar snapped at McCabe’s foot earlier in the move, and while the Arsenal star went down and received treatment, she played on.
France’s play was sublime at times, but Ireland frustrated them and disrupted their intricate passing. Les Bleues probed down the left, targeting the struggling Payne, while Ireland’s wide players switched over and back early on. Quinn stepped up with some big blocks, while O’Sullivan and Farrelly showed glimpses of class in middle, but France always posed a counter-attacking threat off Ireland’s set-pieces.
Brosnan lost a race to the ball on 26 minutes, but the side-netting spared her blushes — and Selma Bacha’s effort. France saw several other shots hit it throughout, as Le Sommer moved through the gears.
McCabe departed just after the half-hour mark, with half-chances following at both ends amidst goalkeeping errors and defensive lapses.
France began to turn the screw, their pre-half time burst setting them up for a big second period. They completely outclassed their hosts and killed off the game, Ireland failing to recover from that double-blow and ultimately fell apart.
Quinn, Brosnan and co. did their utmost with interceptions and straightforward saves, but a third goal looked imminent and it arrived in the 61st minute. Larkrar’s bullet header came off a Dali corner — and in truth, it was another soft one to concede.
With both sides running their respective benches, the game all but petered out from there. Farrelly was forced off after cramping late on, with all eyes on herself and the all-important McCabe over the coming days.
Onto the plane.
Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Heather Payne (Aine O’Gorman 69), Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey (Claire O’Riordan 69), Megan Connolly (Diane Caldwell 80), Katie McCabe (Izzy Atkinson 31); Denise O’Sullivan, Ruesha Littlejohn (Lily Agg 69), Sinead Farrelly (Abbie Larkin 80), Marissa Sheva; Kyra Carusa.
France: Pauline Peyraud-Magnin; Maelle Lakrar (Eve Perisset 75), Estelle Cascarino, Wendie Renard, Sakina Karchaoui (Viviane Asseyi 86), Grace Geyoro (Amel Majri 75), Sandie Toltetti, Kenza Dali (Elisa De Almeida 61); Kadidiatou Diani (Clara Mateo 61), Eugénie Le Sommer (Naomie Feller 75), Selma Bacha.
Referee: Kirsty Dowle (England).
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