Wales made history in Dublin on Tuesdaynight as they qualified for the first major tournament in their nation’s history. A 2-1 win for Rhian Wilkinson’s side thanks to goals from Hannah Cain and Carrie Jones earned them a 3-2 aggregate win over Republic of Ireland and booked their spot at next summer’s European Championship in Switzerland.
There were personnel changes to both starting lineups as the managers tried to shift the dial. Eileen Gleeson made one for Ireland, bringing in Jessie Stapleton for Lily Agg to the midfield. Wilkinson, meanwhile, opted for Cain to lead the line while Josie Green replaced Ceri Holland.
The tension was palpable inside the Aviva as the game got under way, both teams knowing that they carried the weight of history on their shoulders. Despite Wales registering the first shot on target – Jess Fishlock denied by Courtney Brosnan – it was the hosts who ramped up the pressure with half an hour gone. The energetic pressing of forwards Julie-Ann Russell and Kyra Carusa was causing the Welsh defence to rush their clearances. Ireland’s first real attempt of note fell to Denise O’Sullivan, who curled a 20-yard effort past the outstretched Olivia Clark but agonisingly on to the woodwork. Katie McCabe then drove a shot wide before Russell forced Clark into a superb finger-tip save.
Having weathered the proverbial Irish storm, it was the visitors’ turn to exert pressure. A driven Lily Woodham free-kick stung the gloves of Brosnan before the keeper made an equally excellent stop to deny an instinctive Rhiannon Roberts effort.
As in the first leg, the game at times was in danger of teetering over the edge and McCabe was perhaps fortunate to only get a talking to having already seen yellow. She was given her final warning as parity remained at the break. The deadlock was broken shortly after the restart when the referee was called to the monitor to check for a handball against Anna Patten. The evidence of the offence was clear on the replay and Cain dispatched the spot-kick to the delight of the travelling support.
As Ireland desperately tried to find an equaliser, the match became increasingly stretched with Wales looking to hurt them on the transition. The hosts were handed a warning when a well-worked counterattacking move ended with Angharad James denied by the outstretched boot of Brosnan.
Minutes later, they broke through Ireland once more and made it count. Jones, on for the injured Fishlock moments earlier, shrugged off the attentions of Caitlin Hayes before bearing down on goal. With only the keeper to beat, she finished clinically to double her side’s advantage.
after newsletter promotion
Patten headed in a late goal to give the Aviva crowd hope but, despite the pressure of the partisan crowd in the closing stages, Wales held on for a famous victory.