A record-breaking crowd of 16,845 fans piled through the gates of the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday as Cymru held the Republic of Ireland to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Euro 2025 play-off final.
Cymru struck first through a deft finish at the far post from Lily Woodham, though her effort was cancelled out fifteen minutes later by a thunderous long-range strike from Ruesha Littlejohn that officially went down as an Olivia Clark own goal.
The teams will meet again at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, with more than 20,000 tickets sold for that decisive clash.
As it happened
The Republic of Ireland started well in Cardiff on Friday night, benefitting from a flurry of chances on the right flank that permitted Kyra Carusa to tee up Julie Russell twice in the space of two minutes just before the quarter-hour mark. Russell, leading the line for the Girls in Green, couldn’t divert the first one towards target – and her second attempt was snuffed out quickly as Rachel Roberts put her body on the line to avert the danger.
But if there is anything we have learned from this Welsh side under the guidance of Rhian Wilkinson, they’re capable of producing a great spectacle. Friday’s hosts had their own chances in front of a buoyant home crowd, with a Lily Woodham free-kick looking to spark danger inside the box before being duly headed away by an aerially-dominant Irish defence.
Yet Cymru continued to search for that perfect break, and it arrived in the 20th minute. Jess Fishlock, the Welsh footballing icon, played a crucial role as she delivered a pin-point cross to the back post, where Woodham was ready and waiting to slam past Courtney Brosnan to hand the hosts the lead in this finely-balanced tie.
That lead would last just fifteen minutes though, with an Olivia Clark own goal levelling the scores as the Republic of Ireland sought to find a way back into contention. A long-range effort from Ruesha Littlejohn, some 40 yards out or so, looked destined to rattle the top corner of the woodwork – Clark tipped it onto the crossbar, and the rebound bounced off the back of her head and over the line to restore parity in the most spectacular of fashions.
Cymru started brightly in the second half, with Ffion Morgan offering a moment of optimism after a quiet first half as she darted into a central position before placing her curling effort disappointingly wide of the far post. A quick series of corners soon after the hour mark would provide yet more opportunities for the hosts to restore their lead, though Brosnan was able to deal with both of Ceri Holland’s deliveries with relative ease.
The Republic of Ireland grew into their own in the latter stages of Friday’s clash, with a well-worked corner routine providing space for Caitlin Hayes to register a shot from close range. It looked destined to provide Eileen Gleeson’s side with the lead, but for a fine save from Clark to deny the defender.
Yet as the match drew to a close, neither side had managed to convert those opportunities into a tangible lead – despite a golden opportunity for Cymru in stoppage time as a fierce cross from Kayleigh Barton evaded two Welsh bodies in the box. This fierce battle between two evenly-matched opponents will resume in four days’ time, with the winner of the second leg at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium earning a spot in Switzerland for Euro 2025.
The lineups
CYM: Clark; Woodhamn, Evans, Ladd, Roberts; Griffiths, James, Holland; Fishlock, Morgan, Rowe
IRL: Brosnan; McCabe, Fahey, Hayes, Patten; Littlejohn, Agg, Payne; Carusa, Russell, O’Sullivan