Ireland claimed another victory over Georgia, defeating their opponents 3-0 in a sold-out Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday night.
A record crowd of 8,745 spectators watched as the Girls in Green took part in another Euro qualifier playoff that would bring them a step closer to taking part in the tournament next summer.
Since her entry into Ireland’s Euro qualifier campaign earlier this year, Julie-Ann Russell has made her presence known on the pitch. Indeed, the Galway United player pulled off an impressive goal against England and scored two more, helping her country win their first ever match against France.
This second Georgia fixture was no different. It was only a mere four minutes into the game when Russell scored the first goal of the match for Ireland.
“Delighted to get another goal; thought it settled us for the first half as well," Russell told the Irish media after the game.
“And it was special again to have my family and friends here and Rosie here as well so yeah, long may it continue.”
When asked about whether she expected this impressive trajectory upon her return to international play, she responded, “absolutely not; to be totally honest, it’s just been a total whirlwind and I’m just taking it game by game and just enjoying and relishing every moment.”
Kyra Carusa, who was absent from the first round of Euro qualifiers due to injury, made a strong return when she bagged another point for Ireland, kicking the ball into the Georgia net off the back of a flick from Jessie Stapleton.
🗣️ 'We were actively staying conscious about those yellow cards...'
Eileen Gleeson speaks to @kathleen_mcn after Ireland cruised to victory over Georgia in Tallaght. | 🇮🇪
Off The Ball Football w/ @WilliamHillire pic.twitter.com/gdnDc4d2bb
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) October 30, 2024
As her reputation precedes her, it was only fitting that Ireland skipper Katie McCabe should get the final goal of the match. This came when a pass from Denise O’Sullivan found the Arsenal winger, who then shot it into the Georgian net.
The starting lineup was noticeably different from those in the past. For one, Marissa Sheva was making a start after scoring her first senior international goal last Friday in Ireland’s first round against Georgia. Additionally, Stapleton was to take a centre role, as she too was included in the starting lineup following her first goal for her country at the senior level.
In a final bid to qualify for the tournament, Ireland will have to contend with Wales, who beat Slovakia 2-0 while Ireland were playing Georgia. The match is expected to take place in Cardiff and Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in December. The two sides last met in February 2024 for an international friendly where Wales won 2-0 against their hosts at Tallaght Stadium.
Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson credits this familiarity with Wales with making her team aware of what they are up against.
“I think obviously Wales, higher ranked opposition, has a similar profile to us in terms of players, in terms of key players, and in terms of the levels that players play at so yeah, you have to approach the games slightly differently, just as when we played tougher opposition and you pick your squad then based on how you can maximise your performance against whoever you’re playing with. So that’s the way we have to go against Wales.”
