Republic of Ireland have one foot in the play off final after a 6-0 victory in Tiblisi on Friday night. With nine sides having booked their place at EURO 2025 already, the big victory in the first play off match will make the tournament feel in touching distance for Ireland.
Standing in their way tonight were Georgia who lie 94 places separate the two in the FIFA World Rankings. The last time these two met competitively was in the World Cup 2023 qualifying campaign in which Ireland came away with an aggregate 20-0 victory over the two matches, the home win, 11-0, is still Ireland’s biggest win in competitive football.
But Georgia are much improved even in a couple of years. Georgia qualified for the play offs from League C after coming second behind Belarus in their group. Though Belarus topped their group in no small part due to Georgia and Lithuania’s refusal to play Belarus resulting in default 3-0 victories for their opposition. Georgia’s late win against Lithuania secured the side’s place in these play offs.
Ireland on the other hand were in League A and drawn into an incredibly difficult group, which despite losing five, finished off the group with victory over France, leading to the positive mentality the side seemed to have coming into this tie. For Georgia the home fans were in good voice prior to kick off, a noticeable difference to the side’s meeting in 2022.
Ireland looked to set up in a 3-5-2 formation with Katie McCabe starting from left wing back with plenty of licence to roam forward. Their opposition played far more defensively looking to get bodies behind the ball.
The Lineups
GEO: Gabunia; Gasviani, Kalandadze, Chkhartishvili, Narsia, Pasikashvili, Danelia, Bebia, Kadagishvili, Khaburdzania, Cheminava
IRL: Moloney; McCabe, Hayes, Patten, Mannion, Agg, Toland, Larkin, O’Sullivan, Russell, Carusa
The Action
Georgia did well to frustrate Ireland in the early exchanges, setting up in a low block and buoyed on by a small but passionate support inside the stadium. Georgia got their first opportunity of the match on 15 minutes when they won a free kick on the edge of the visitor’s box. A chance to test back up goalkeeper Grace Moloney, filling in for the suspended Courtney Brosnan. The London City Lionesses keeper stood up to the first bit of scrutiny she faced gathering the ball from the cross into the box confidently.
Closer to the thirty minute mark Ireland began to purr, as Katie McCabe’s clipped cross brilliantly found O’Sullivan who struggled to cast the ball under her spell in the box. O’Sullivan recycled the ball but Russell’s flicked header was palmed over the bar by Gabunia, who impressed in the early stages.
Only a couple of minutes later Ireland should have been a goal ahead, a beautiful touch from Russell played McCabe into space on the byline whose fizzed ball across the box was met by Abbie Larkin who could not direct the ball into an empty net. But Larkin would redeem herself, following a lovely move, she crossed the ball into the box but her dangerous cross was blocked by the arm of backtracking Georgian midfielder Natia Daniela. McCabe made no mistake from the spot to fire Ireland into a deserved lead.
O’Sullivan exhibited some wonderful close control to win a corner for Ireland minutes later. McCabe’s cross from the resulting set piece was flicked on by Anna Patten but was well stopped by Gabunia once again. Ireland felt they should have had another penalty with seconds remaining of the first half as Lily Agg went down under a challenge from Miriam Kalandadze in the box, but their protestations were waved away by the referee.
There were no substitutions at half time, but McCabe and Russell did swap positions with the latter moved to left-wing-back. Ireland probed early on in the half, a McCabe cross found Kyra Carusa whose touch bounced, fortuitously for the hosts, off the bar. But Carusa would get her goal with Larkin once again causing issues from the wing for the Georgians, as her cutback found Carusa whose wonderful flick found the back of the net making it 2-0.
McCabe would make it 3-0 with a trade mark wonder goal just a few minutes later. Picking up the ball just inside the Georgian half, McCabe, seeing Gabunia off her line audaciously lobbed the keeper. She nearly had her second wonder goal in five minutes as she swiveled on the ball whose shot did not dip in time as Ireland threatened again from a set peice.
Substitute Jessie Stapleton picked up her first senior goal at international level to make it 4-0 as Ireland began to enjoy themselves. A wicked Katie McCabe cross into the box found Stapleton who directed the ball goal wards, turning away in delight after hitting the back of the net. A lengthily VAR check followed tempering celebrations a touch, but over five minutes after the ball hit the back of the net, the goal was confirmed.
Another substitute in Marissa Sheva impressed after being introduced and with just minutes left on the clock. Sheva was rewarded for a bright performance off the bench, cutting inside the Georgian box and powerfully firing the ball into far corner.
Ireland were not done there as with the final touches of the game Katie McCabe’s cross into the box found Aoife Mannion free at the back post who gratefully directed her header into the back of the net and finished the job for Ireland. The goal rounded off an excellent evening for Eileen Gleeson’s side, one where three players scored their first goal for Ireland and the side as a whole scored six. Job done as far as Ireland were concerned, until Tuesday at least.
Next up for both sides is that meeting in Tallaght on Tuesday for the second leg. The winner of the tie will face either Slovakia or Wales over two legs for a place at EURO 2025 with Slovakia taking the first leg 2-1 in Poprad tonight.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Abbie Larkin
The Crystal Palace youngster’s direct running and dangerous deliveries into the box led to the vital early goals for Ireland which set the tone. Still just 19, Larkin’s influence in this Irish side continues to grow.
