Gleeson's Republic of Ireland hit the North for six to round off Nations League campaign in style
WOMEN’S UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE B
NORTHERN IRELAND…1 (Kerry Beattie 75 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND…6 (Lucy Quinn 37, Heather Payne 39, Kyra Carusa 47, Katie McCabe 50, Louise Quinn 61, Caitlin Hayes 86)
Ireland saved the best until last by completing a royal flush of Nations League wins at the home previously known as Windsor.
Two rapid braces over a 13-minute blitz either side of half-time sunk Northern Ireland and illustrated the gulf between the teams.
How exactly this sets Ireland up for next year’s Euro qualifiers will only be known then but through the quality of captain Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan and others like Megan Connolly and Heather Payne chipping in, their superiority has been abundantly clear in this series.
A result for the North was imperative to hold a chance of escaping League B too as despite leading Hungary by two points heading into the final games the Magyars were facing Albania.
While Hungary advance to a promotion playoff, this set of results demotes Tanya Oxtoby’s northerners into a relegation decider to avoid dropping into League C.
How the planets have shifted from 2020 when the Republic watched on as their victors Ukraine were beaten by the North to seal a place at the Euros.
Incentivising Ireland was the distinction of completing a full house of six wins from their maiden Nations League campaign.
Eileen Gleeson could also bow out of her tenancy as the only manager to claim a half dozen competitive victories on the spin. Vera Pauw had done likewise but those included friendlies.
Ireland weren’t expecting a friendly reception to Amhrán na bhFiann being played for the first time but at least it was a respectful one.
The neighbours have come a long way since the poisonous atmosphere of
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