Loreto teenagers Hannah McLoughlin and Sarah Torrans made their senior Irish debuts at Stormont on Sunday in a 1-1 draw with Scotland, Jessica McMaster levelling for Ireland after Charlotte Watson had given the visitors the lead.
It was the first of three meetings with Scotland – the second is at Banbridge on Tuesday evening, followed by the third at Stormont on Wednesday afternoon – in what is now the beginning of the build-up to next summer’s World Cup in London, Ireland’s qualification for the tournament having been recently confirmed.
Both goals came in the opening eight minutes of the game, Torrans making an immediate impact when she came on as an early substitute, setting up McMaster with a cross from the baseline to equalise after Watson’s opener.
Torrans twice came close to giving Ireland the lead, Sinead Loughran and Lena Tice also thwarted by Scottish goalkeeper Lucy Camlin, but Scotland had their own threatening moments, not least when Laura Swanson hit the bar.
IRELAND: C Cassin, E Getty, R Upton, Y O'Byrne, G Pinder, L Colvin, K Mullan, D Duke, S Loughran, R Barry, J McMaster. Subs: L Murphy, Z Wilson, L Tice, H McLoughlin, N Carroll, S Torrans, E Curran.
