Here is Gavin Cummiskey’s match report:
[ Patten and Barrett goals paper over cracks in nervy Ireland win over GreeceOpens in new window ]
Aoife Mannion on RTÉ: “It was a little tricky in the last 10 minutes. We need to be a little bit more tight in defence, and put our chances away. Alan Mahon is doing a lot of work on set pieces, he said that if we score goals on set pieces money will be sent to charity so we scored two tonight so that’s a sweet feeling.”
90 mins: Aoife Mannion has won player of the match, well deserved.
Full-time: Ireland 2 Greece 1
Back-to-back wins for Carla Ward and Ireland! Not the best performance though, good start and then drifted from the game. Could have ended up dropping points in the second half, but deserving of the win overall.
88 mins: Sheva slices one wide from outside the box, but Ireland have been better since the last two subs came on. Nice backheel by Larkin to Campbell overlapping, clips it in but headed away then Littlejohn hits it over.
Ireland 2 Greece 1
85 mins: Disappointing by O’Sullivan to lose the ball after Noonan had released to her just outside the box. O’Sullivan nearly slips in Noonan but well defended.
Ireland 2 Greece 1
82 mins: Chance for Ireland after the loose ball from a Campbell long throw, Quinn hits to the top corner but Nasi gets there. Campbell’s corner, Noonan gets on the end of it but wide. On come Abbie Larkin and Ruesha Littlejohn.
Ireland 2 Greece 1
79 mins: Another dangerous play by Greece, Papatheodorou swivels around the defence, showing her pace, but ends up hitting her shot straight at Brosnan. Ireland losing some control over the game.
Ireland 2 Greece 1
75 mins: A misplaced pass and Greece have another chance with Brosnan off her line, but Papatheodorou doesn’t catch it from outside the box. A tad nervy.
Ireland 2 Greece 1
72 mins: Goal for Greece! Wow, superb shot by Sarri from the edge of the box, powerfully shot into the corner. Wake-up call for Carla Ward and her team, and Noonan comes on in response.
Ireland 2 Greece 1
71 mins: Greece win a corner after a positive run by Palama. The short corner is wasted though, they don’t even get the ball into the box.
Ireland 2 Greece 0
65 mins: Greece are going for it a bit now and they almost got in behind but it was offside. Good through ball and turn by O’Sullivan into Murphy, out for a corner. Not as good of a delivery by Campbell this time.
Ireland 2 Greece 0
59 mins: Decent spell by Greece and ends up with Sarri catching the ball well from outside the box but ultimately straight at Brosnan.
Ireland 2 Greece 0
54 mins: Ireland piling on the pressure with their set pieces but Greece survive a third for now.
Ireland 2 Greece 0
50 mins: Better delivery this time from Campbell from a free-kick, very dangerous and goes out for a corner which she also takes in, even better this time.
GOAL FOR IRELAND! Patten heads it in from close range, delicious ball in from Campbell from the corner., Patten powers it in front of the keeper.
Ireland 2 Greece 0
The second half is under way... Emily Murphy is off the bench for Leanne Kiernan.
48 mins: Positive run by Murphy who wins a throw which might as well be a corner with Campbell’s throws. Patten couldn’t get a flick on though.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
45 mins: After a lively pressure in the first 20 or 25 minutes, Ireland’s momentum has stalled a bit and the break might do them well.
Decent cross by Greece at the end of the half causes a bit of havoc, but from the counter, Ireland have another half-chance with O’Sullivan winning the ball and playing Barrett in behind. She doesn’t have the pace though and eventually ends up with a blocked O’Sullivan shot. The whistle goes.
Half-time: Ireland 1 Greece 0
43 mins: Quinn finds O’Sullivan on the edge of the box with a nice pass but it’s well defended by Markou. Barrett collects a ball that’s headed away and tries to curl one in from 30 yards out but not enough power, easily collected by the keeper.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
Slovenia beat Turkey 1-0 away from home, so they will stay top of the group no matter what happens. Important Ireland get the win here to keep the pressure on.
37 mins: Chance for Ireland, Toland pulls her shot low wide to the left after patient play by Sheva and Quinn. Then another shot for Ireland, Toland with a long ball over the top, Barrett with a poorly chosen shot well wide of the mark.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
34 mins: Neat interplay by Sheva and O’Sullivan set up Kiernan for a low cross but it’s cleared away. Ireland with plenty of possession at the back, but Sheva and Barrett link up but again cleared.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
29 mins: Paterna receives treatment after a tackle by O’Sullivan, a short break in the game.
Barrett shows good workrate to win a corner from a goal kick. From the corner, a decent chance, Stapleton wins it at the back post, headed back, then Patten heads it back again, Mannion with a decent chance but just heads it wide.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
25 mins: Great hold-up play by Barrett, much improved at that today and great lofted through ball to Lucy Quinn who messes up the chance but positive play by Ireland’s forwards.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
22 mins: A cross/shot by Sarri from Greece for their first real chance of the game but it was always wide.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
18 mins: Anna Patten shows her composure by beating the Greece press. Otherwise Ireland certainly have the Greeks pinned in.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
15 mins: Good tempo by Ireland, keeping the ball well and putting on pressure. Quinn sets O’Sullivan free and then Campbell puts in a low cross, Greece clearing desperately.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
12 mins: A good long ball by Patten to Barrett who had run well in behind, wins a corner. A short corner routine goes wrong as Campbell hits it over the ball when crossing.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
9 mins: Penalty for Ireland! Positive play by Kiernan, she runs at the defence and gets fouled outside the box. Poor decision there by the referee, but Ireland won’t complain. Amber Barrett... scores! Well taken down the left.
Ireland 1 Greece 0
6 mins: Campbell puts in one of her classic long throws, Patten gets her shoulder on the end of it but nothing more. Ireland pressing on in attack, Mannion putting in a decent ball to O’Sullivan who was outmuscled in the box.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
3 mins: Good play early on by the captain Denise O’Sullivan who wins a tackle, then dribbles past the Greece player and wins a free-kick. From it Campbell puts in a dangerous ball but Greece just about get it away.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
The teams are out on the pitch, ready for the national anthems. Here are the teams again:
Ireland: Brosnan; Stapleton, Campbell, Patten, Mannion; Sheva, Toland, O’Sullivan (capt), Quinn; Barrett, Kiernan
Greece: Nasi; Paterna, Markou, Palama; Ntarzanou, Saich, Moraitou, Sarri, Mitkou, Spyridonidou, Papatheodorou.
Here is the match preview from Gavin Cummiskey.
“It’s an opportunity for others,” said Carla Ward. “Amber [Barrett] came on and did tremendously well. Saoirse Noonan’s been absolutely brilliant since she’s come in.
“Look there’s a lot of people in those areas that can step into their shoes. I think that other people need to step up and take their opportunity. I’ve said it many times, we’ve got a tremendously good squad, we’ve got an abundance of quality, great people, a togetherness and a willingness to learn.”
Ireland team: Brosnan; Stapleton, Campbell, Patten, Mannion; Sheva, Toland, O’Sullivan (capt), Quinn; Barrett, Kiernan
Greece: Nasi; Paterna, Markou, Palama; Ntarzanou, Saich, Moraitou, Sarri, Mitkou, Spyridonidou, Papatheodorou.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Women’s Nations League match between Ireland and Greece from Tallaght Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.30pm. In the away match four days ago, Ireland put in a very impressive 4-0 win against the Greeks, which helped erase some of the memories of the 4-0 defeat to Slovenia in their previous match.
Those two results sum up how it has been a mixed Nations League campaign so far, with some hangover from missing out on the European Championships evident. Promotion is still possible however, especially if they win tonight against Greece. There will be no Katie McCabe or Kyra Carusa for this game. McCabe is suspended after she picked up a yellow card in the previous game against Greece, not before making a massive impact off the bench. Other players will have to step up, Denise O’Sullivan will captain the side. The starting team will be posted here when it’s available.
