Northern Ireland's Nations League campaign is under way.

The Republic of Ireland are starting to dominate possession here after Turkey had looked the more dangerous during the opening encounters.

No big chances for either side so far though.

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Andrew McCarroll/Irish FA

"About a year after she started with me, I said to her dad that she was going to go far and had a really good chance at going across the water.

"Kascie was about 11 but you could see she could make it. She just had something."

In his 20 years as a coach, Mark Gourley has seen many young girls and boys come through at Antrim Rovers.

Right from the off, he could see there was something special about Kascie Weir.

Now 18, Weir has been called into the Northern Ireland squad for the opening Nations League matches with Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

So how did the girl who was a "dream to coach" move to the brink of a senior international debut in eight years?

Read Andy Gray's piece on the new face in Northern Ireland's squad here.

Ruesha Littlejohn has another go from range.

However, this one is a comfortable save for Selda Akgoz.

Ruesha Littlejohn notices that stopper Selda Akgoz is off her line, connects with a loose ball and tries her luck from distance with her strike sailing just over the crossbar.

Turkey have an early corner after good work down the left wing by IIayda Civelek.

The set piece causes a bit of a scramble, but Carla Ward's side eventually clear their lines.

It's a big night for right back Rebecca McKenna as captains Northern Ireland on her 50th appearance.

Tanya Oxtoby has made the one change from December's Euro 2025 play-off defeat by Norway as Keri Halliday comes in for defender Nat Johnson.

There could be a debut off the bench as teenager Kascie Weir was drafted into the squad following an injury to Kerry Beattie.

Captain and star striker Ewa Pajor is the player to watch for Poland, who qualified for the Euros with a 2-0 aggregate win over Austria.

Northern Ireland: Burns, McKenna (capt), Dugdale, Rafferty, McKenna, McPartlan, McCarron, Andrews, Halliday, Wade, Magill.

Subs: Norney, Harvey-Clifford, Bell, Schofield, Maxwell, Caldwell, Mason, McDaniel, Wilson, Hamilton, Weir, Johnson.

Poland: Szemik, Zieniewicz, Wos, Dudek, Wiankowska, Achcinska, Pawollek, Kamczyk, Padilla, Krezyman, Pajor (capt).

Subs: Radkiewica, Seweryn, Matysik, Mesjasz, Zawistowska, Brodzik, Grabowska, Cyraniak, Jedlindka, Slowinska, Xaremba, Weobel.

Image source, BBC Sport

Here we go!

Can the Republic of Ireland get their Nations League campaign off to a winning start?

Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe says the departures of Gleeson and assistant coach Colin Healy came as a surprise.

Gleeson and Healy did not have their contracts renewed after the the Euro 2025 play-offs defeat.

Gleeson was initially appointed on an interim basis in August 2023 to replace Vera Pauw before becoming permanent boss four months later.

"From our point of view, given the news that obviously Eileen and Colin weren't going to continue on, it was a shock," said Arsenal star McCabe.

"A lot of the girls were surprised by it, more so from the point of how well we got on and the spirit they had for us, the connection and the good environment they created. I want to say a big thanks to Eileen and Colin for everything they've done."

McCabe, who will lead the team out against a Turkey side sitting 60th in the world standings and 35 places below the Irish, believes it is now time to focus on the future.

"We've had some really amazing moments. Unfortunately for us we didn't qualify for the Euros and the FAI [Football Association of Ireland] made a decision off the back of that so for us as players now we need to look forward.

"We need to start looking towards how we're going to qualify for World Cup in 2027. That starts tomorrow night with our new manager in place."

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We're getting close to kick-off at Tallaght Stadium with the anthems under way.

The weather conditions may impact the style of the game tonight. It's safe to say it's blustery here!

Carla Ward takes charge of the Republic of Ireland for the first time and makes four changes to the starting XI who were defeated in the second leg of the Euro 2025 play-off last year.

Megan Campbell, Aoife Mannion, Lucy Quinn and Marissa Sheva are in the line-up with Caitlin Hayes and Jessie Stapleton dropping to the bench and Niamh Fahey and Julie-Ann Russell retiring after the Wales game.

Charlton's Melisa Filis could make her debut tonight as she is among the substitutes.

Republic of Ireland: Brosnan, Campbell, Mannion, Payne, Littlejohn, O'Sullivan, McCabe, Patten, Quinn, Carusa, Sheva.

Subs: Moloney, Whitehouse, Stapleton, Hayes, Conolly, Barrett, Toland, Filis, Larkin, Murphy, Atkinson.

Turkey: Akgoz, Sakar, Hiz, Abrahamsson, Civelek, Topcu, Cal, Keskin, Turkoglu, Seker, Pekel.

Subs: Caglar, Yaman, Arhan, Cin, Goksu, Hancar, Icinozbebek, Karabulut, Karagenc, Karatas, Ozturk, Tag.

Image source, BBC Sport

Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby says nurturing young talent is a priority for her after teenage striker Kascie Weir was called into the squad for the Nations League opener against Poland in Gdansk.

The 18-year-old, who plays in the Women's Premiership for Glentoran, was drafted into the squad earlier this week for the meeting with the Poles and Tuesday's encounter with Bosnia-Herzegovina at Inver Park.

Weir, who has played for NI at under-19 level, earned her first call-up after scoring seven goals for her club in 2024.

"We've spoken at length that if you're good enough the door's open and you'll get an opportunity," said Oxtoby.

"We want to provide opportunities for our young talent and Kasey coming in is another example of that."

Experienced striker Simone Magill is also happy to help develop and offer advice to young players who come into the group.

"To have a young number nine coming up and annoying me with questions is brilliant, it's exactly what I want," said the Birmingham City forward, 30.

"I want to help Kascie and any young players that are coming up as they are our future. To have them in with us now and learning what we're doing is fantastic."

Read more from Magill on tonight's game here.

Image source, Inpho

Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward has praised the mental attitude of the squad before her first game in charge against Turkey.

The former Aston Villa, Sheffield United and Birmingham City boss succeeded Eileen Gleeson in the post last month.

Tallaght Stadium in Dublin will host the Uefa Nations League opener with the Republic of Ireland back in action after the Euro 2025 play-offs defeat by Wales in December.

"They've been top-drawer," said the Isle of Wight-born Ward on Thursday.

"I've been saying to them that the application, the attitude from every single one of them this week has been first-class."

Liverpool forward Leanne Kiernan will miss the game because of a calf injury but could possibly return for Tuesday's away encounter against Slovenia.

Ward, who brought in former Republic of Ireland men's international Alan Mahon as her assistant, laid out her footballing philosophy.

"A very clear way of playing - I'd like to think we've been very clear in what we want from everybody. Me and Alan, you've probably seen already, we like energy, we like personality.

"I think we want to see that in players, give them a little bit of freedom to go express themselves, I think you'll see that. We'll see after the game but I'd like to think you will see that."

Image source, Inpho

Hello and welcome to our live text commentary of tonight's two Nations League games, with the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland back in action for the first time following their Euro 2025 play-off defeats in December against Wales and Norway.

The Republic of Ireland welcome Turkey to Tallaght in their first game of the year and their first under new boss Carla Ward. That game in League B Group 2 in Dublin gets underway at 19:30 GMT.

Then at 19:45 GMT, in League B Group 1, Northern Ireland take on Poland in Gdansk. The game will be another good test for Tanya Oxtoby's young side, with the Poles having qualified for this summer's Euros.

Thanks for joining us - enjoy!

Image source, Inpho