Girls in Green sweep past France to rock the Páirc

How oft do your thoughts in their fancy take flight? By the banks of their own lovely Lee, the Republic of Ireland chiselled out a Euro 2025 qualifier victory they would have daydreamed about on their pre-match walk through Cork city this morning.

Second-half goals from Denise O’Sullivan, the remarkable Julie-Ann Russell and Anna Patten gave Eileen Gleeson’s team their first win of a difficult campaign, and rubber-stamped their status as a seeded side for the autumn play-offs.

A scrap with Poland for that precious seeded spot was only separated by goal difference before this match, and the Poles’ loss to Iceland ultimately meant Ireland only needed to avoid a five-goal loss here.

On top of that, France had already qualified for next summer’s Euros and made a grand total of 11 changes, but it would be churlish to begrudge the Girls in Green their moment after a performance full of positives.

It was a deserved win, and gave them a serious morale-boost as they look towards October, and the chance to seal a ticket to next year’s finals in Switzerland.

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France, with automatic qualification for the tournament already assured, field a completely new starting XI for their trip to the home of Cork GAA. In the build-up Herve Renard suggested he’d go strong on Leeside but instead he heavily utilised his squad ahead of their involvement in the upcoming Olympic Games.

Renard has been all around the world in his esteemed managerial career, but it’s unlikely the 55-year-old has ever come across a scoreboard formatted for a game of hurling. A well-positioned black sheet blotted out the unrequired digits here with the Páirc shrinking its pitch dimensions to accommodate a full women’s international soccer game for the first time.

Gleeson made four changes and injected Ireland with more pace. The benefits were obvious from the get-go. Julie-Ann Russell galloped after a lost cause and almost pinched possession off goalkeeper Constance Picaud on the fringes of the area; then her forward partner Leanne Kiernan very nearly took a cute O’Sullivan pass in her stride after evading French defenders.

This was a diminished French outfit for sure, but the back-ups showed flashes of class. A superb through ball from Chelsea’s Eve Perisset for Julie Dufour forced Jess Ziu into a crucial interception, and Renard’s drastically altered 11 generally looked the more cohesive team in the early exchanges.

Ireland relied on moments to threaten; individuals to make sparks.

Kiernan did really well on 18 minutes to outmuscle Thiniba Samoura in the box and drill in a shot that skidded off Picaud’s fingertips and spun to safety.

After that, it was a tale of poor decision-making. Caitlin Hayes’ clever ball down the left channel freed Russell to charge into oceans of space before her own hesitation allowed recovering French players to extinguish the move. Russell was the guilty party again soon after when a Ruesha Littlejohn-led counter had an outnumbered France back-pedalling. Littlejohn found Russell, and she found no one as a blind pass to her left trickled into space.

Ireland were screaming for a handball when Hayes’ header came off the outstretched arm of Maelle Lakrar, but Spanish referee Olatz Rivera Olmedo waved it away.

The half ended with Mannion toepoking the ball away from Samoura and into the path of Kiernan who fizzed a low cross straight to French skipper Amandine Henry.

Renard summoned the supreme Delphine Cascarino from his star-studded bench at half-time and she almost made an instant impact, lashing in a fierce drive that Brosnan solidly batted away.

You feared France would move through the gears, bring on the big guns and take the contest away from Ireland, but Gleeson’s charges had a skittish energy about them that fed encouragement.

In moments they threatened; individuals occasionally made sparks.

A quick McCabe throw-in allowed Ziu to surge forward and uncork a sweet strike that Picaud parried. Russell pounced on the rebound, but her tame effort was comfortably dealt with by the Fleury stopper.

More chances came. Excellent Russell pressing gave Kiernan the chance to sprint away from Samoura towards goal, the home crowd collectively inhaling in anticipation of an opening goal.

Kiernan took too long to let fly, and a couple of long Samoura strides saw her eat up the space and shoulder the Liverpool striker to the ground.

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On 66 minutes, those inside the Páirc got the moment they craved. Russell took a long ball on her chest and fed Knocknaheeny’s finest O’Sullivan, who set herself 25 yards out from goal before rifling a super low strike into the bootom left corner.

Selma Bacha screwed a volley inches wide in response but in the 75th minute, a magical moment brought the house down.

Russell’s endeavour was spectacularly rewarded as she got the better of Elisa De Almeida, cut inside and bent a quality left-footed finish into the top corner. Ireland players raced towards the 33-year-old in glee, all of them indulging in a ‘bye-bye’ celebration inspired by Russell’s one-year-old daughter Rosie.

In the fog of the delirium, Ireland lost focus. Delphine Cascarino’s 79th-minute cross was scuffed home by Vicki Becho, and we had a grandstand finish on our hands.

Cascarino oozed class, a constant menace on the right side of France’s attack.

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However, frayed nerves were soothed when another daughter of Cork, Megan Connolly, whipped in a peach of a corner that was glanced home by Anna Patten off French sub Grace Geyoro .

And that was that. A thoroughly enjoyable end to a tough campaign. Ireland still finished bottom of the group and have some wrinkles to iron out if they’re to make another major tournament, but they showed here that there is absolutely enough in them to ensure they’ll be a team most will want to avoid when the play-off draw is made in Nyon this Friday.

Republic of Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Aoife Mannion, Caitlin Hayes, Louise Quinn, Anna Patten, Jess Ziu (Amber Barrett 90); Ruesha Littlejohn (Lily Agg 55), Denise O’Sullivan, Katie McCabe; Leanne Kiernan (Megan Connolly 87), Julie-Ann Russell.

France: Constance Picaud; Eve Perisset, Maelle Lakrar (Grace Geyoro 62), Thiniba Samoura, Estelle Cascarino (Elisa De Almeida 62); Amandine Henry (capt), Léa Le Garrec (Marie-Antoinette Katoto 81), Selma Bacha; Sandy Baltimore (Delphine Cascarino HT), Julie Dufour (Kadidiatou Diani 70), Vicki Becho.

Referee: Olatz Rivera Olmedo (Portugal)

Attendance: 18,399