PAUWS FOR THOUGHT..
VERA PAUW was made to sweat for the win in her first match in charge of the Republic of Ireland women’s team.
It was a far from convincing display before a record crowd for a women’s game in Ireland of 5,328 at Tallaght Stadium in their Euro 2021 qualifier.
Despite running up a 2-0 lead, defensive frailties were punished by Ukraine to level the game before a second half own goal gave Ireland victory.
Ireland dominated possession early on but struggled to create much.
The first clear-cut chance arrived on 24 minutes and it stemmed from a Megan Campbell long throws.
Diane Caldwell’s flicked header was parried on the line by keeper Kateryna Samson with Louise Quinn prodding the loose ball wide.
The breakthrough then came a minute later.
Denis O’sullivan found Rianna Jarrett, who skipped by right-back Tamila Khimich to pull the ball back for skipper Katie Mccabe to sweep home off her left foot.
Three minutes later Ireland doubled their lead, Mccabe whipping over a corner for Jarrett to score with a close range header.
Seemingly in command, Ireland gifted Ukraine two dreadfully soft goals.
Marie Hourihan was at fault for the first on 34 minutes, flapping at a free-kick from the right to allow Lyubov Shmatko to shoot home the loose ball.
Further poor defending was clinically punished on 42 minutes.
Megan Connolly missed her kick in attempting to clear a cross and the alert Olha Ovdiychuk found the net off a post.
Ireland’s lead was restored thanks to a calamitous own goal on 52 minutes.
Jarrett did exceptionally well to cut a cross back from the left end line and while Denise O’sullivan’s shot was cleared off the line by Shmatko, the ball went in off the knee of Natiya Pantsulaia.
The game remained tight, with Ukraine pressing for an equaliser in the final quarter.
And they might have got it on 74 minutes but for Swiss referee Désirée Grundbacher being unimpressed by what looked a foul inside the area by Keeva Keenan on Ovdiychuk.
Hourihan then made up for her first half howler by pushing a shot from Ukraine skipper Daryna Apanaschenko round the post in stoppage time. Shmatko 34, Ovdiychuk 43