FEARS EASE OVER O’SULLIVAN INJURY
IRELAND have been handed a massive boost ahead of Tuesday’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Finland in Helsinki after a scan revealed Denise O’Sullivan’s arm injury was not as bad as initially feared. The influential midfielder left the fray just before the final whistle of Thursday’s 1-0 defeat to Sweden after landing awkwardly on her elbow. She was immediately brought to hospital with manager Vera Pauw and her coaching staff fearing the worst. However, an x-ray showed that there was no fracture and the 27year-old Cork woman is expected to recover in time to fly out with the rest of the squad to Finland today. Along with captain Katie McCabe, the North Carolina Courage star remains Ireland’s most potent threat and the pair will be needed in Helsinki in a match that Pauw admitted will be crucial if the team want to finish second in the group. McCabe believed that Ireland did enough to take something from Thursday’s match and is in a confident frame of mind ahead of Tuesday’s showdown with Finland. ‘Obviously, Finland is a whole different ballgame but there are positives to take. I thought we deserved more from the Sweden game,’ the Arsenal star said. ‘We have come on leaps and bounds in the past couple of years and I think belief is embedded in the team now. We know what we are good at, but it is about eliminating those mistakes which cost us in the end. We will review the Sweden game, recover and have our full focus on Tuesday.’ With O’Sullivan likely to be fully fit to link up with McCabe in Helsinki, Ireland’s prospects of delivering a defining result look a little more promising.