Cymru have qualified for Euro 2025 after recording a two-goal victory over the Republic of Ireland at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Following a 1-1 draw at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday that saw Ruesha Littlejohn’s thunderous strike from range cancel out Lily Woodham’s opener, Rhian Wilkinson’s side had the result wrapped up in ninety minutes at a bustling Aviva Stadium.
There was nothing to separate the two sides at the break in Dublin, despite a number of opportunities for both sides that saw the Republic of Ireland rattle the woodwork and send two efforts just inches wide.
But Hannah Cain broke the deadlock inside the first five minutes of the second half, rolling home from the penalty spot after Anna Patten handled the ball inside the area, and Carrie Jones was able to cement that lead when she came of the bench to slot home the visitors’ second goal of the evening.
Yet there was still time for drama in the dying stages as Ireland looked to keep their chances of a first European tournament alive, as Patten made amends for her earlier handball by nodding home to reduce the deficit to a single goal.
As it happened
Having proven victorious in their last outing on Irish soil earlier this year, Cymru started well at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night as their search for Euro 2025 qualification intensified. Hannah Cain, starting up front in lieu of Ffion Morgan, looked to pose a threat early on both through her deliveries from the right flank and her darting runs through central areas – but it was Jess Fishlock that would forge the first real opportunities for Rhian Wilkinson’s side as her prodded effort from the edge of the box was held well by Courtney Brosnan between the sticks.
Katie McCabe, applauded relentlessly by the majority of the 25,832-strong crowd in the Irish capital, was shown the first yellow card of the evening for a challenge on Josie Green in the 17th minute, with her side swiftly starting a period of dominance that saw Denise O’Sullivan rattle the top corner of the woodwork with a thunderous effort from outside the box. McCabe came dangerously close, too, with an effort from twenty yards out flying mere inches wide of the upright before Julie Russell was spectacularly denied by Olivia Clark.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut after a late challenge on Cain saw Cymru awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position shortly after the half-hour mark, Lily Woodham was granted the opportunity to seize the aggregate advantage. Her free-kick was punched away by Brosnan though, with her resulting corner delivery ultimately spurned wide by Rhiannon Roberts.
McCabe, already booked by the evening’s referee, was lucky to avoid a second yellow card in the 38th minute after going to ground under minimal contact – and it seemed to be the wakeup call that the Girls in Green required. Eileen Gleeson’s side controlled the final five minutes of the half, with Clark called upon to deny Heather Payne’s effort from the right and Niamh Fahey watching on in sheer disbelief as her outrageous stab from distance sailed marginally wide of the left post.
Despite finding themselves under pressure before the break, Cymru couldn’t have wished for a better start to the second half. Within three minutes, referee Marta Huerta de Aza was sent to review a potential handball incident at the pitchside monitor, ruling that Anna Patten had used her arm to punch away a delivery and granting Cymru a decisive penalty that was duly slotted away by Cain. The visitors kept pushing to extend their lead, finding great opportunities through a probing ball for Cain and a rapid counterattack just before the hour mark that saw Angharad James’ strike held by Brosnan.
But Cymru would come again and again; their second goal of the night coming courtesy of substitute Carrie Jones. Just five minutes into her cameo appearance, the 21-year-old timed her run to perfection to latch onto a well-weighted pass from Ffion Morgan. The IFK Norrköping midfielder remained composed, rolling into the bottom-left corner via a slight deflection off the toe of Niamh Fahey.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter a pitch invasion halted proceedings, Ireland looked to throw everything at salvaging a result and forcing extra time – and a Patten header put them on course to do just that as she nodded home following a corner, with the signalling of an additional eight minutes of stoppage time further adding to Irish hopes of a late comeback. Despite a teasing Megan Campbell throw-in, a promising break for Leanne Kieran and a tight-angled shot for Denise O’Sullivan, there would be no such comeback, however, and victory over two legs seals Cymru’s first major tournament qualification. They now await the results of the Euro 2025 draw, set to take place in Lausanne on December 16.
The lineups
IRL: Brosnan; McCabe, Hayes, Fahey, Patten, Payne; Littlejohn, Stapleton, O’Sullivan; Carusa, Russell
CYM: Clark; Woodham, Evans, Ladd, Roberts; James, Griffiths; Green, Fishlock, Rowe; Cain