Inevitably, there was a flatness to the occasion, Canada having taken the wind out of Ireland’s sails last week, ensuring that this game against Nigeria would be their last hurrah at the 2023 World Cup. And the nature of the Vera Pauw-related chat in the build-up to the game suggested that the real fireworks might be let off after and not during it.
And so it proved. RTÉ should probably have stayed on air to bring us live coverage of Pauw’s post-match press conference when it sounded like she had more shots on target than Ireland could manage in 90 minutes against the Nigerians.
It was Stephanie Roche who had alerted us to Katie McCabe having a word with her manager during the second half, the exchange not sounding overly cordial. The nation held its breath. “Oh…,” said George.
And, later, Pauw confirmed at that press conference that, yes, there had indeed been a chat, her captain rather eager for her to make substitutions. Pronto. “She is not the coach ... I am the coach.” It’s increasingly hard to see this ending well.
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But at least the campaign ended with a point. Ireland had started well but finished weakly in this game, much like against Canada, but unlike against Australia when they started weakly and finished well. When they put two good halves together, they’ll be unstoppable.
Maybe the most uplifting sight during their swansong was that of Diane Caldwell entering the fray for the final minutes of the game, this the first and most probably only World Cup appearance of her career. “Her debut at the World Cup at the age of 84,” George Hamilton noted. That’s some engine.
Sinead Farrelly, 51 years Caldwell’s junior, was demonstrating impressive longevity too, playing the full game when she usually departs the scene around the hour mark. “It’s well past her bedtime,” said George when the clock skipped past 60 minutes.
But for all Farrelly’s silkiness and Denise O’Sullivan being allowed play high up enough the pitch (ie past the halfway line) to risk a nosebleed, there was no – what do they call it? – end product. “They’re not quite clicking in the final third,” said George, which was the kindliest understatement you’ll ever hear from the mouth of a commentator.
As for Courtney and that save: from this day forth, let her be known as Banksy Brosnan.
All over, 0-0, and there was no small relief from Clare MacNamara’s panel that Ireland had got off the mark before leaving Australian shores.
And whatever frustrations there might have been along the way, Méabh De Búrca, the former Irish international, and Rachel Corsie, the current Scottish captain, pointed to the narrowness of the defeats to Australia and Canada and the draw with an in-form Nigeria, adding up to a campaign not to be sniffed at.
The key, they and Stephen Kelly argued, was to build on it and not let it be a one-off hoolie, Corsie pointing out that so many countries are getting stronger now – as evidenced by a heap of them at this World Cup – that even running might only see you stand still, that the afterburners might now need to be applied.
But, she insisted, “Ireland have the quality to be a much more offensive team,” which led nicely to Tony O’Donoghue’s interview with O’Sullivan. What was it like to finally get to play further up the pitch? “I had a ball,” she beamed. And she literally had one a bunch of times too, which hasn’t always been the case when she was preoccupied with putting out fires just in front of her back five.
Any way, Nigeria danced their way in to the stadium prematch, and danced their way out of it again having booked their spot in the last sixteen along with Australia. Those of us who had a notion Canada and Ireland might top the group ... the bookies need never fear us.
So, a more-than-decent debut on the world stage, one thing we know for sure now is that they can mix it with the best, even if they might struggle to actually score against them. No fireworks. But you sense there are a few coming in the days and weeks ahead.
