RECORD CROWD SEES IRELAND CRASH & BURN
A FIRST defeat under Eileen Gleeson (inset) and a performance that should have alarm bells ringing ahead of the Euro 2025 qualification kick-off in April.
In front of a Tallaght Stadium record attendance of 8,218, Ireland were poor in all areas of the pitch..
Wales deserved their seventh-minute lead, which came from one of many set-piece deliveries that had the Irish in knots during the first-half.
Gemma Evans flicked the ball across goal, Courtney Brosnan stuck out a leg and blocked from Sophie Ingle, but the ball spilled to Hayley Ladd, she squared to Jess Fishlock and the Seattle Reign midfielder finished from close range.
The pressure continued from the visitors and Fishlock should have doubled her tally from a Rachel Rowe corner but she failed to keep her free header down.
Ireland looked laboured in possession yet still they should have been level after 16 minutes.
Goalkeeper Olivia Clark was the hero as she showed great reactions to keep out Amber Barrett’s close-range strike.
Clark’s sharpness mirrored that of her teammates, whose counter-attacking play further stretched the ragged Irish defence.
They were two-up after 22 minutes when Rhiannon Roberts’ crossfield ball was flicked on brilliantly by Fishlock into the path of Lily Woodham.
She had ghosted in on the left, with no Irish player near enough to close her down, and her first-time strike from 16 yards arrowed high past Brosnan.
There were some lastditch tackles and blocks as the hosts looked to avoid conceding a third, while loose passing in the other direction cost the Girls in Green any chance they had to build pressure of their own.
Brosnan came to the rescue five minutes before the break to deny Elise Hughes after Heather Payne coughed up possession.
Two centrehalves turned to three after the break, as Gleeson’s side took on a more familiar shape, albeit with two upfront.
And they did tighten up somewhat with the introduction of Louise Quinn, as one of three half-time subs. That trio included debut-making forward Emily Murphy.
Wales continued to keep things tight at the back, limiting Murphy’s opportunities to make an impression, while fellow substitute Kyra Carusa also struggled to get into the game.
She did spurn the best Irish chance to pull one back when, 16 minutes from time, she raced onto Hayes’ long arcing pass down the right, and sped into the area.
Carusa took one touch too many, however, and that allowed Ella Powell to slide in and clear the ball before the Us-born striker could shoot.