Kyra Carusa goal gives Ireland win over Turkey in Tallaght
Ireland's Denise O'Sullivan is challenged by Meryem Çal of Tukey. Picture: INPHO/Tom Maher
A header from Kyra Carusa was the difference as Ireland defeated Turkey in the first match of their 2025 Women’s Nations League B campaign at Tallaght Stadium.
The full-time gets the Cara Ward era off to a winning start, with the new coach welcomed by 8,071 spectators in Dublin.
The Girls in Green are now hoping to make it two from two against Slovenia next Tuesday evening in Koper.
The coach will have plenty to take away with her from a night that saw Denise O’Sullivan and Megan Connolly impress against a Turkey side that sat back from the minute the game kicked off.
The visitors rarely threatened, with the exception a chance that Kader Hançar poked wide at the death. They specialised in a low block that frustrated Ireland as they looked to find space inside the area.
A Megan Campbell long throw made the breakthrough, with Carusa flicking this on for an O’Sullivan shot at the 21st minute that was blocked on the goal-line.
The team regrouped by sticking to Ward’s possession-based game-plan, and that involved trying to find space through quick overloads in wide positions.
The issue was the visitors; ability to break up play by winning fouls as this slowed things down immensely.
At the other end of the pitch, Turkey started to press and Ece Turkoglu almost got to a stray Campbell pass intended for Courtney Brosnan. The goalkeeper immediately reacted by coming off her line and clearing the danger at the 38th minute, which was a major source of relief as half-time loomed.
The Girls in Green responded by winning a free-kick and the routine involving Ruesha Littlejohn and O’Sullivan ended with the ball just getting away from Carusa at the back post.
The team kept pressing and the great opening of Turkey came from the most unlikely source, a pass by centre-back Aoife Mannion into the area, and Marissa Sheva sent this to Heather Payne for a cross to Carusa.
The striker managed to loop her header over Selda Akgoz and that gave Ireland the lead in the first-half stoppage time.
There was no let-off after the break, instead Ireland continued to play aggressive expansive football against a Turkey side that often had Melike Pekel acting as a lone striker.
Ward and her management team dealt with this by bringing on Abbie Larkin and Amber Barrett at the 62nd minute, with the attacking duo brought on to inject fresh energy into the Ireland forward line.
When they entered the pitch, Turkey were so deep that seven players were stationed inside their own box.
Ruesha Littlejohn tried going long in an attempt to get around this with 64 minutes on the clock, and her ball the top just got away from an onrushing O’Sullivan.
Turkey responded by pushing up and this led to two corners that failed to trouble the Ireland defence.
Ward went on to make further changes to her team, with Connolly replacing Littlejohn in the middle of the mark with 15 minutes to go.
Turkey went for it late on, and the best they could do was get the ball to Hançar at the back post.
The striker’s miss was a major let off, for an Ireland team that finished the night second in the group after Slovenia’s 2-1 victory over Greece.
Courtney Brosnan; Heather Payne, Anna Patten, Aoife Mannion, Lucy Quinn, Ruesha Littlejohn, Dense O’Sullivan, Marissa Sheva, Megan Campbell, Kyra Carusa, Katie McCabe.
Abbie Larkin for Quinn (62); Amber Barrett for Carusa (62), Megan Connolly for Littlejohn (76), Caitlin Hayes for Campbell (86).
Selda Akgoz; Fatma Sakar, Gulbin Hiz, Sejde Abrahamson, Ilayda Civelek; Ebru Topcu, Meryem Cal, Elif Keskin, Ece Turkoglu, Busem Seker, Melike Pekel.
Arzu Karabulut for Turkoglu (71); Başak İçinözbebek for Cal (81), Kader Hançar for Pekel (81), Didem Karagenç for Keskin (90).
Réka Molnar (Hungary)
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