Full-time: Ireland 1 Finland 0. So many of the players are in tears. Roll on next Tuesday in Slovakia. Ireland are through regardless of what happens in the final qualifying match but the better the result there, the more workable the route through the play-offs. The first part of the job has been done.
Onwards.
94 mins: And they’ve done it! It wasn’t pretty but it’s all about the result. Ireland are in the play-offs for the World Cup. Joy unconfined in Tallaght.
93 mins: What a chance for Finland! Sasstrom somehow finds a spare acre 10 yards from goal but her header sails wide. That’s Ireland’s warning.
92 mins: Fantastic work from Heather Payne to win a free in midfield and kill some clock.
90 mins: Four minutes of stoppage time.
89 mins: Ireland faffing about at the corner flag here. It will be a long few minutes if they have no ambition beyond keeping it there.
85 mins: Ireland substitution. Lucy Quinn on for Ziu.
83 mins: This is all a bit too end-to-end for Ireland’s liking. Brosnan has to be alert to save from Koivisto. Then a cross from Ziu looks destined for O’Sullivan’s forehead but the Finland goalie tips it clear. Could be a frantic last few minutes.
82 mins: Silly yellow card for Jess Ziu, kicking the ball away.
81 mins: Finland look pleasingly short on ideas and inspiration here but Ireland still haven’t put them away. Brosnan is quick off her line to cut out a through ball and proceeds to lie on the ball. Bit early for that, Courtney.
76 mins: Ireland substitution. Chloe Mustaki on for Megan Campbell who had done pretty well but was starting to tire.
71 mins: Ireland have been much the better side in this second half but a one-goal lead is a recipe for a squeaky-bum next 20 minutes. Jamie Finn picks up a yellow for time-wasting on a throw. It looked harsh but it’s an indication of the nerves around the place.
67 mins: Oh, what a chance for Payne! Got in behind on a long pass from Campbell but couldn’t get the power in it and her shot was weak and straight at the keeper. Ireland have another corner though and keep piling on the pressure. O’Sullivan sets McCabe up for a strike and it’s only a foot or two over. A second goal would be nice here.
62 mins: Corner for Finland as they fight back and put on a bit of pressure. Quinn clears again, Ireland force the goalkick.
59 mins: Amazing what a goal does. Ireland’s two superstars are coming into it now. O’Sullivan and McCabe are gradually taking more control of the game and Ireland are playing with more confidence. Yellow card for Connolly for a pretty cynical trip. She’ll take it though.
54 mins: And it leads to a goal! Terrific ball in from Connolly and Lily Agg finds an ocean of space on the penalty spot to head home. That’s such a brave header - she knew she was about to get poleaxed by the FInland keeper but she kept her eye on it and headed home. Ireland 1 Finland 0!
53 mins: Katie McCabe has been down for a while here after a heavy tackle from Koivisto. Yellow card for the Finn but MCCabe looks to be okay.
49 mins: So close! Another deep throw-in from Connolly causes havoc in the Finnish defence and it needs a diving save from Korpela to put it out for a corner. O’Sullivan nearly gets a strike from the goalmouth scramble that follows but Finland stay alive. Ireland have started much better in this half.
46 mins: Second half is go. No changes on either side.
Half-time: And that’s the break. Ireland 0 Finland 0. Very ordinary Irish performance for most of the half and it took a brilliant save from Courtney to keep them from going behind. They came into it towards the end but they’ll need to be much better in the second half to get the result her. Back for the second half in a bit.
45 mins: Chance! The ball squirts to Payne in space in the box but she scuffs her shot and it’s an easy save. But they’re playing in the right part of the pitch finally and one of these sighters could pay off eventually.
44 mins: Good period of Irish pressure, with Agg at the heart of it. They’re camped on the edge of the Finland box before a Campbell cross finds O’Sullivan on the penalty spot. Needed a cleaner header but she draws a good save from the Finnish keeper.
42 mins: Ireland are making a change. Littlejohn hobbles off, Lily Agg comes on for her third cap. Littlejohn got hurt on the first minute and hasn’t been a factor. Agg should bring more energy, if not experience.
36 mins: Such a leaden display from Ireland here. There’s none of the vim or zip of their performances last year and they have given Finland so much cheap possession. Even McCabe and O’Sullivan have been careless on the ball. This has to improve.
31 mins: Corner for Ireland after Katie McCabe sprints onto a Campbell throw. Wasted though, overhit cross by Campbell.
27 mins: Great save from Brosnan! A pinball sequence around the Irish box flicks off Campbell and it’s looping into the corner of the goal before the Irish keeper claws it out for a corner. That was far too close.
25 mins: ... from which Ireland almost score. The corner floats to the back post where Quinn nods it back for Diane Caldwell to head off the crossbar. But the ref blows for a Finland free - the ball was out when Quinn headed it intially.
24 mins: First corner of the game for Ireland. Louise Quinn got on the end of a long throw but her header was deflected out. McCabe’s corner was well cleared intitally but Ireland kept the pressure up. McCabe lines up a strike and it’s out for another corner...
23 mins: Decent stop by Courtney Brosnan in the middle of her goal. After a shaky start, she has been quick off her line a couple of times.
22 mins: Ireland doing better now. Payne is getting a little space through the middle but again failed to pick the right pass - this time Katie McCabe was making a run.
17 mins: Payne got caught in two minds there. Big tackle by Ruesha Littlejohn sent her clear but she dithered when Jamie Finn was free on the right and it came to nothing.
11 mins: Free for Finland wide on the right well cleared by Louise Quinn. Denise O’Sullivan was pounced on by four Finns as soon as she took up possession. No mistaking who they think the dangerwoman is. Ireland can’t get hold of the ball at all.
7 mins: Ireland finally get on the front foot. Heather Payne skipped in behind on the right and though her cross was hacked, Megan Campbell found herself in space. She put in a deep cross that narrowly missed Payne at the back post. Better.
4 mins: Nervy start from Ireland here. They backed off a bit too readily and Finland almost got in around the back on the right flank but a great tackle by Campbell and it’s Ireland’s goal-kick. Straight after, Megan COnnolly had to slide in to clear for a corner on the other wing. Courtney Brosnan flapped at the cross and it had to be cleared off the line by Katie McCabe. Ireland need to settle down.
0:00 mins - And we’re underway! Denise O’Sullivan kicks us off.
We’ll see how they shape up when the game gets going obviously but the clear implication in that team is that Katie McCabe is going to be given a more front foot role tonight. Vera Pauw gave a gnomic smile last Friday when we asked her what she thought McCabe’s best position is. “You’ll see,” she said.
Team news alert. Megan Campbell comes in for her first start in three years, filling in for the injured Niamh Fahey.
Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Jamie Finn, Diane Caldwell, Louise Quinn, Megan Connolly, Megan Campbell; Denise O’Sullivan, Ruesha Littlejohn, Katie McCabe, Jess Ziu; Heather Payne
Finland: Tinja-Riikka Korpela; Elli Pikkujamsa, Anna Westerlund, Natalia Kuikka, Emma Koivisto; Olga Ahtinen, Ria Oling, Eveliina Summanen, Heidi Kollanen; Linda Sallstrom, Jutta Rantala
If you like your context raw and straight between the eyes, who better than our soccer corr Gavin Cummiskey to give it to you in this handy explainer?
There’s nothing like a night like this. A full stadium, a team on the up, the country mad for them to do well. Ireland’s road to the 2023 World Cup is complicated when you write down on paper (hint: you’ll need lots of paper) but winning tends to simplify matters. Anything less won’t sink their chances but it won’t help either.
