Abbie Larkin seals promotion for the Republic of Ireland with a 90th minute goal against Belgium

Belgium 2 

Ireland 1 

(Ireland win 5-4 on aggregate) 

A night for nerve, belief and late drama. Ireland may have lost the second leg in Leuven, but thanks to Abbie Larkin’s 90th-minute heroics, they won the war – and with it, promotion to League A and guaranteed passage to the 2027 World Cup play-offs.

Having shipped a first-half brace to the brilliant Tessa Wullaert and seen their two-goal cushion dissolve, Ireland were wobbling.

But where panic could have set in, there was only room for certainty. The second-half response was controlled, energetic, and built towards a moment that always felt imminent.

Marissa Sheva sparked it. She teed up Emily Murphy on 53 minutes for the first in a series of Irish openings, only for Nicky Evrard to bat it away. Sheva went herself six minutes later, stinging Evrard’s gloves again.

Katie McCabe’s deliveries – on her 100th cap – kept pressuring Belgium. Hayes rose to power a header goalwards on 62 minutes, but Evrard, again, denied. And when Abbie Larkin dragged wide from close range moments later, there was worry.

The momentum ebbed, yet crucially Ireland never allowed Belgium to muster the third goal they needed. Deep in the 88th minute, Ireland’s moment looked to have come when Cork’s Denise O’Sullivan slipped Carusa in behind, only for Evrard – outstanding all evening – to intervene once more.

Then, in the 90th minute, scruffy and frantic, they did it. O’Sullivan’s header sent Carusa through, she squared, and Laura Deloose’s attempted interception fell kindly to Larkin.

After an initial miskick that somehow steadied her feet, Larkin toe-poked home, and wheeled away in celebration. League A secured, World Cup play-off guaranteed.

The opening 25 minutes were nervy, a McCabe delivery gave Ireland their best chance in the early stages, as Evrard couldn’t catch the ball at two attempts and Hayes’ touch knocked it in front of Aoife Mannion. But with red shirts stacked between her and the net, Mannion’s snapshot was smothered on 22 minutes.

But Ireland’s defensive control quickly unravelled. A lovely Belgium move – Laura Deloose, Janice Cayman and Jarne Teulings knitting one-touch passes down the flank – sliced Ireland open. Teulings squared, and Tullaert, with acres inside the box, made no mistake. Belgium within one on aggregate.

And five minutes from the interval, the leveller. A ball lofted over the top, Hayes’ attempted clearance miscued, and Wullaert pounced again – this time from distance, lifting it over the stranded Grace Moloney.

Belgium 2-0 on the night, level in the tie, and Ireland suddenly under pressure.

But the response was superb, the Green in Girls’ spirit undeniable – and Larkin’s late jab sealed hard-earned progression.

BELGIUM: Evrard; Kees, Mertens, Tysiak (Missipo 66), Deloose; Cayman, Vanhaevermaet, Janssens; Detruyer (Wijnats 90+1), Wullaert, Teulings (Toloba 84).

IRELAND: Moloney; McCabe (c), Hayes, Stapleton, Mustaki, Mannion; Sheva, O’Sullivan (Quinn 90+1), Littlejohn (Patten HT); Carusa, Murphy (Larkin 60).

Referee: S Frappart (France)