FRANCE 1 (Malard 40) IRELAND 0 Ireland ’s World Cup journey will continue to the play-offs later this year – but only after a spirited second-half display in Grenoble. A spectacular Melvine Malard bicycle kick won it for France, and sent Les Bleues to next year’s finals in Brazil as the winners of Group A2. But Carla Ward’s side won’t fear anyone when the play-offs take place next year. France finished the game with 10 players after Thiniba Samoura was shown a second yellow card
18 minutes from time for a cynical drag-back on Emily Murphy. And they finished on the back-foot as Ireland created the type of chances that were converted in last Friday’s win against the Netherlands in Cork. Goalkeeper Constance Picaud came to the rescue on at least three occasions as the Girls in Green pushed for the goals they needed to stamp their own ticket to Brazil. Their luck was out, however, and it’s on now to the play-offs in October, along with the Netherlands who
claimed second spot in the group thanks to their win over Poland. Their first round opponents will be one from League C teams Romania, Greece, Kosovo, Hungary, Croatia, Belarus, Kazakhstan or Bosnia & Herzegovina. That shouldn’t throw up too many scares over two legs, and then it will be onto the deciding round in late-November and early-December. Ward’s players will take great heart from this campaign, which included two single-goal defeats to the French when points were there for the taking, back-to-back wins over Poland
and that famous win over the Dutch. Although they were pinned back for most of the first-half, they rarely looked like conceding before Malard’s sensational strike. France attacked in waves in the opening minutes, but goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan comfortably dealt with early efforts from Grace Geyoro and Malard. And as she was against the Dutch four nights earlier, Brosnan was quick off her line to mop up any overhit through-balls. Denise O’Sullivan was eager to make up for lost time. Suspended for the Páirc Uí
Chaoimh win, she covered plenty of ground throughout. The Liverpool midfielder rattled Maelle Lakrar with an early shoulder at one end of the pitch, and then popped up at right-back moments later to concede what looked to be a soft free-kick. She completed a whirlwind first three minutes by throwing her foot at a goal-bound Oriane Jean-Francois shot. Perhaps she was a little too overeager then, a couple of minutes later, when she fouled Geyoro 30 yards from goal. A fine piece of defensive play
by Caitlin Hayes prevented Malard from turning and capitalising on the set-piece. That was the story of Hayes’ night. She was so quick to get in front of the French forwards and break up promising attacks. There was an element of rustiness to O’Sullivan’s play. On a couple of occasions in the first-half she played the ball behind Aoife Mannion when a more angled pass would have set the Newcastle defender galloping into space. And early in the second-half she passed up a great chance
to release Carusa behind the French defence with a final ball that ended up under the striker’s feet rather than in front of her. French dominance in the first-half manifested itself in plenty of territory, the couple of early shots on target that Brosnan dealt with and some wayward finishing too. There were moments, though, at the other end when Ireland threatened to cause some trouble, mostly with raids down the right-hand-side. But the only time that Picaud had to get her hands on the
ball was when Mannion played Carusa down the line, and her cross towards Murphy was cut out by the French net-minder. Despite the hosts’ territorial advantage, they looked destined to end the first-half without a goal. But Malard, France’s two-goal hero in Tallaght, had other ideas. Selma Bacha played a quick short corner to Sakina Karchaoui, who skipped past O’Sullivan and got her cross in before Murphy could make the block. The ball glanced off Megan Connolly’s head, bounced off the top of Mallard’s head
and spun high into the air. As it dropped, the Manchester United star connected with a stunning bicycle kick that crashed in off the underside of Brosnan’s crossbar. The Irish reaction after half-time was impressive, as they finally began to take the game to their hosts. O’Sullivan didn’t get enough weight on her centre towards Sheva minutes after the restart. Then goalkeeper Picaud came to the rescue on a hat-trick of occasions. When a deep Mannion cross was nodded back into the centre by Murphy,
Sheva let fly and Picaud saved bravely with Carusa waiting for the ball to spill from her grasp. She saved with her legs when Patten connected with a McCabe free-kick at the back-post. And with the French down to 10 players, she denied substitute Abbie Larkin from point-blank range. France: Constance Picaud; Alice Sombath, Thiniba Samoura, Maelle Lakrar, Selma Bacha (Marie-Antoinette Katoto 69); Grace Geyoro, Sakina Karchaoui (Kelly Gago 90), Oriane Jean-Francois; Delphine Cascarino (Melween N’Dongala 69), Melvine Malard (Anaele Le Moguedec 75), Sandy Baltimore
(Wassa Sangare 90). Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Anna Patten, Caitlin Hayes, Chloe Mustaki; Aoife Mannion (Saoirse Noonan 89), Megan Connolly (Jess Ziu 61), Denise O’Sullivan, Marissa Sheva (Amber Barrett 89), Katie McCabe; Emily Murphy, Kyra Carusa (Abbie Larkin 70). Referee: Desiree Blanco (Switzerland) Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the top stories and biggest headlines from Ireland and beyond .
Ireland, France, World Cup play-offs, Group A2, Melvine Malard, bicycle kick, Thiniba Samoura, Constance Picaud, Courtney Brosnan, Carla Ward