The Ireland Women's Under-16s finished the UEFA Development Tournament in Portugal on a high as they beat France 1-0 in the Estadio de Medideira.
A superb headed goal from Anna Butler gave Ireland their second win of the tournament, which they narrowly missed out on winning overall due to Austria's superior goal difference.
Over the course of their games—against Portugal, Austria, and France—there was clear progression in how the team played and adapted to situations. They scored three, conceded three, and recorded one clean sheet, but their performances as a whole were what truly stood out.
Head Coach Tom Elmes was able to give game time to every player in this tournament, and that will stand for them moving forward in their career development. So too will this victory, considering that France was an extremely difficult opponent.
The Girls in Green—wearing white on this occasion—defended well when they needed to and were constantly looking for openings in the French lines to exploit.
It was an attacking move on 52 minutes that led to their goal when Maeve Wollmer whipped in an excellent cross from the left wing, and Butler got in front of her marker to direct the ball into the back of the net.
Not long after they took the lead, Ireland needed goalkeeper Jenna Willoughby to be at her best when she pulled off a fine save to maintain her clean sheet.
France applied a lot of pressure late on in search of an equaliser, but Ireland did not wilt and continued to fight all the time to the final whistle to claim a much-deserved victory.
Ireland: Jenna Willoughby; Finley Newell; Heather Loomes; Chloe Wallace (Kaitlyn Delahunty 67); Aisling Meehan (Sarah McCaffrey 73); Emma Mooney (Madison McGuane 61); Aoife Sheridan (Grace Ehinger 73); Emma Gaughran; Ella Kelly; Anna Butler; Maeve Wollmer (Aoife Colbert-Martin 61);.
