Soccer

Ireland v Georgia: Gleeson to fine-tune squad and debut youngsters in Tallaght Stadium sell-out

After 6-0 win in Tbilisi, a spot in final Euro 2025 qualifier beckons for Ireland, where they’ll face either Wales or Slovakia

Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe being interviewed by the media at Tallaght Stadium on Monday ahead of their second-leg clash with Georgia. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe being interviewed by the media at Tallaght Stadium on Monday ahead of their second-leg clash with Georgia. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Mary Hannigan
Tue Oct 29 2024 - 06:00
Euro 2025 qualifying playoffs, round one, second leg: Republic of Ireland (6) v Georgia (0), Tallaght Stadium, Tuesday, 7.30 – live on RTÉ 2

Eileen Gleeson and her players could be forgiven for letting their thoughts stray towards events at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday evening, even when they have their own business to attend to in Tallaght. “We’re only human,” as Aoife Mannion put it after the 6-0 win in Tbilisi on Friday all but guaranteed Ireland’s passage to the final qualifying phase for Euro 2025.

Short of Georgia producing a comeback for the ages, Ireland will face Wales or Slovakia in a two-leg playoff between November 27th and December 3rd – and if they can get through that, they’ll qualify for their first ever European Championships.

But Gleeson insists that her sole focus is on this second leg against Georgia, that her backroom staff will monitor happenings in Cardiff where Wales must come from behind having lost the first leg 2-1 to Slovakia.

Her call on her players to be “ruthless” against Georgia is likely to be heard, after all in the nations’ last three meetings Ireland have scored 26 goals without reply. But with the game a sell-out she wants them to put on show for the home crowd.

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“We want to go out and put in a good performance, score goals and really give everyone something to be excited about.” As often has been the case before, though, not all ticket-holders actually turn up, the manager urging them to do so this time around.

The record attendance for a women’s international in Tallaght was set back in February, although Gleeson might not like to be reminded of the occasion – 8,218 witnessed the first defeat of her reign as manager, the 2-0 winners none other than Wales in a friendly. Mind you, Slovakia frustrated the living daylights out of Vera Pauw’s Ireland in a 1-1 draw in Tallaght back in November 2021, so neither potential playoff opponent should have any fear of another trip to Dublin.

Back to Georgia, though, and Gleeson says Ireland “will start strong”. There is, no doubt, a temptation to ring the changes to give lesser-used players a run-out, but she’ll be mindful that this is Ireland’s last game before they take on Wales or Slovakia – and some fine-tuning needs to be done ahead of that challenge.

While they got there, handsomely, in the end in Tbilisi, the performance was far from convincing, Ireland only having a Katie McCabe penalty to show for their efforts in the first 67 minutes, before Georgia caved.

“We want to start this game as we finished the first, a lot more controlled and patient,” said the Irish captain. “We had a bit more urgency about us, and we were clinical in that second half as well. So yeah, that’s how we need to start this game.”

Courtney Brosnan being yellow-carded during the game against France in Metz in April. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Courtney Brosnan being yellow-carded during the game against France in Metz in April. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Courtney Brosnan, suspended for the first leg, is likely to return to the line-up, while Tyler Toland will probably be omitted after picking up a booking in that game – one more and she’d be unavailable next time around. Jessie Stapleton could fill that holding midfield role, while Leanne Kiernan will be pushing for a start, possibly in place of Julie-Ann Russell who could be rested for this one, having made a hell of an impact since her international return.

Niamh Fahey, Heather Payne and Amber Barrett, all unused in Tbilisi, would welcome game time too, as would Izzy Atkinson who only came on in injury time.

“We have a few young inexperienced players so it will be nice for them to come in with less pressure, we will definitely look to bring them on,” said Gleeson, hinting at a first cap in two years for Ellen Molloy, and a possible debut for Cork City’s Eva Mangan. Diane Caldwell is the only doubt for the game having been ruled out of the first leg with back spasms.

A welcome sight in Tallaght on Monday was that of Tara O’Hanlon, the Manchester City player, who joined the WSL club from Peamount United in January, invited by Gleeson to link up with the squad now that she’s back in training after a lengthy recovery from a hamstring tear.

There are few more gifted Irish prospects than the 19-year-old who was given her senior debut by Pauw last year. Wales/Slovakia might come too soon for the Dubliner, but as one our “high-potential future players” as Gleeson described her, she will, you’d suspect, rack up the caps yet.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times