Republic of Ireland prove too good for Northern Ireland in final Nations League tie of their group

Northern Ireland 1

Republic of Ireland 6

CORK'S Denise O’Sullivan and Megan Connolly helped the Republic of Ireland make it six wins from six in the UEFA Women’s Nations League by featuring for the team during their 6-1 victory over Northern Ireland at a bitterly cold Windsor Park on Tuesday night.

The Girls in Green closed out a historic year – which started with a first ever appearance at a FIFA Women’s World Cup – with quick fire goals from Lucy Quinn and Heather Payne all but deciding this international derby in Belfast.

Kyra Carusa added a third just after the break and the lead grew bigger when Katie McCabe, Louise Quinn, and Caitlin Hayes found the target throughout the second half.

For a while – the three points could have went either way as it was a night was fraught with tension and chances were minimal at both ends. 

The Republic of Ireland did have the majority of possession, even with an inverted team featuring O’Sullivan playing in between the lines and Katie McCabe in the middle of the park.

Connolly’s role combined her two strengths – defence and creativity – and she spent the majority of the night around the half-way line as a link between Lousie Quinn and Courtney Brosnan.

Their patience to find space paid off when a Lucy Quinn shot from the edge of the area deflected off Chloe McCarron and hit the back of the net. 

The Republic of Ireland got possession back seconds later and the scorer turned creator by crossing to Payne and she volleyed in at the back post.

Once the game got back underway, a McCabe cross was flicked in by Carusa and the full-back followed that up by curling the ball into the top right corner.

A 2-0 lead became a 4-0 cushion in the blink of an eye and Northern Ireland looked shell shocked as they got back into position.

Their night – which was supposed to be about getting a win and avoiding relegation – was effectively done minus a heroic comeback by a team that did not muster a shot on target in the first half.

As for the Republic of Ireland, they kept going and Connolly set up Louise Quinn and Hayes to get the fifth and sixth goals.

Northern Ireland did pull one back when Brosnan punched a corner into the path of Rebecca Holloway and she set up Kerry Beattie to tap it in from close range.

Interim manager Eileen Gleeson and her assistant Colin Healy can now look back on their time in charge as a huge success and the players and supporters will be hoping the pair will be given the opportunity to manage the team on a full time basis.

Northern Ireland: Maddie Harvey-Clifford; Rebecca McKenna, Rebecca Holloway, Sarah McFadden, Laura Rafferty, Chloe McCarron, Marissa Callaghan, Nadene Caldwell, Caragh Hamilton, Lauren Wade, Simone Magill.

Subs: Demi Vance for McKenna (HT); Kerry Beattie for Magill (HT), Danielle Maxwell for Caldwell (65), Megan Bell for McCarron (81).

Republic of Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Louise Quinn, Caitlin Hayes, Ruesha Littlejohn, Denise O’Sullivan, Katie McCabe, Heather Payne, Lucy Quinn, Jamie Finn, Kyra Carusa.

Subs: Jessie Stapleton for Littlejohn (62); Abbie Larkin for Payne (62), Izzy Atkinson for Lucy Quinn (81), Chloe Mustaki for Louise Quinn (81), Lily Agg for Finn (83).

Referee: Veronika Kovarova.