Republic Of Ireland ease past Kazahstan to make it four wins from four games in Pairc Ui Chaoimh

Republic Of Ireland 4

Kazakhstan 0

(Ireland win 12-0 on aggregate)

Denise O’Sullivan was on target as the Republic of Ireland continued their World Cup qualifying journey with a 4-0 victory over Kazakhstan at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night.

It finished 12-0 on aggregate and this sets up a two legged meeting with Poland in December, with the winner of that tie progressing through to the tournament finals next summer in Brazil.  

Ireland's home game with Poland will be the second game, and it will be on Saturday, December 5th at the Aviva Stadium.

This game was all but a formality after the Girls in Green won 8-0 last Friday in Astana.

Ireland were determined to put on a show at a venue they have never experienced defeat in since they played France in the UEFA Nations League at the home of Cork GAA in July 2024.

This night began with an Abbie Larkin shot taken off the goal line and it continued with a penalty appeal over a foul on O’Sullivan being turned down in the 21st minute.

It took some time for Ireland to pry open the Kazakhstan defence, a unit that stayed compact as a flat back four at all times.

O’Sullivan helped create space, and one of her early rewards was a free-kick in the 28th minute. Katie McCabe sent this in for an awkward Jessie Stapleton shot that went high and over the bar at the Blackrock End.

Megan Connolly tried her luck from distance during Ireland’s next advance, a rising effort that went high and out for a goal kick.

Emily Murphy went a different route in the 36th minute by dribbling through and trying to curl the ball in, a neat move that won a corner that came to nothing.

Nothing seemed to land. Every opening ended in either a near miss or a stern defensive tackle. It looked like the breakthrough came from a long Stapleton pass to Aoife Mannion that was headed on for Murphy. The striker hit the ball first time and put it out for a goal kick.

Within a second everything changed. Ireland quickly got possession back and Anna Patten swung a cross to the back post for Stapleton to drive in with a header for the opener in the 40th minute.

The Girls in Green went on to double their advantage at the start of the second half from a Murphy pass to Katie McCabe that was fired in from the edge of the D.

Things slowed down after that, as Ireland went through a prolonged spell in possession while Kazakhstan held their own defensively.

Carla Ward brought on Amber Barrett and Lucy Quinn for Larkin and Mannion in an effort to change things up, a decision that paid off in the 71st minute.

Connolly put that move in motion with a pass to Murphy. 

The striker had a cross deflected on for a blistering Quinn strike that sailed in to make it 3-0 at the City End.

The fourth goal arrived just 90-seconds from a close range finish by hometown hero O’Sullivan in the 73rd minute.

Things wound down from there, with attention moving to a date with Poland in December.

Republic of Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Aoife Mannion, Anna Patten, Hayley Nolan, Jessie Stapleton, Katie McCabe; Megan Connolly, Shanade Hopcraft, Denise O’Sullivan; Emily Murphy, Abbie Larkin.

Subs: Marissa Sheva for Hopcraft (HT); Tyler Toland for Patten (HT), Amber Barret for Larkin (62), Lucy Quinn for Mannion (63), Kyra Carusa for Murphy (81).

Kazakhstan: Angelina Portnova; Aleksandra Burova, Anastassiya Vlassova, Bibigul Nurusheva, Anastassiya Nizamutdinova, Yekaterina Babshuk; Aida Gaistenova, Karina Zhumabaikyzy, Asselkhan Turlybekova; Fatima Satygaliyeva, Amina Bibossynova.

Subs: Kazyna Korbayeva for Zhumabaikyzy (HT); Valeriya Popova for Satygaliyeva (63), Leila Sadykova for Nizamutdinova (63), Kristina Shustova for Turlybekova (79).

Referee: Michaela Pachtová (Czechia)