Wales captain Angharad James, usually not one for any level of hyperbole, said before the match that this was the biggest game of the Wales players’ lives and with the pressure on, they rode their luck to stun the hosts and secure a win that will live in the all-time annuls of Welsh sporting history.
Wales’ journey from being a nation where women’s football was an afterthrought has been up and down, but belief that they would qualify for a major finals has never diminished and they will now take their place at football’s top table for the first time.
After three near misses in qualification for the past three major tournaments, Wales were bidding to finally get over the line and boss Wilkinson made two changes, including surprisingly leaving out Liverpool’s Ceri Holland, who scored the winning goal in the play-off semi-final.
Both sides were in don’t-lose mode in the first leg of the tie, as a cagey contest drifted to a draw, and it was clear from the early exchanges that a tight and tense affair was an inevitability.
The first effort on goal on 14 minutes saw Fishlock’s volley force Courtney Brosnan into a comfortable save, with Ireland enjoying plenty of possession but struggling to impose themselves in an attacking sense.
However, without striker Elise Hughes Wales were again lacking in an ability to keep the ball in attacking areas and the hosts came within a whisker of leading on 23 minutes as O’Sullivan’s fantastic curling effort hammered against the crossbar with Wales goalkeeper Olivia Clark beaten.
Ireland again came close moments later as Katie McCabe found space to unleash a long-range left-footed effort that fizzed wide of Clark’s far post.
The home side were knocking louder and louder in search of an opener and Julie Russell thought she had found a breakthrough on 30 minutes, but Clark denied her with a brilliant one-handed save.
Brosnan was then called into action at the other end to deny Woodham from a 25-yard free-kick - with Wales also testing Brosnan from the subsequent corner, but she got down brilliantly to turn Rhiannon Roberts’ shot on the turn around the post.
In a contest of small margins Wales were incensed on 38 minutes that referee Marta Huerta de Aza opted not to show a second yellow card to McCabe after she swiped at Rachel Rowe who stayed on her feet.
Ireland came close twice before the interval, but Heather Payne’s effort was saved by Clark and defender Niamh Fahey’s long-range effort was just wide.
Image source, Getty Images
