Carla Ward has been at the helm of Ireland for almost ten months. In that time there have been ups and downs, but through it all has been one constant, Courtney Brosnan between the sticks.
The Everton number one has made herself impossible to drop in the Irish set up for a while now. Brosnan is one of the best keepers in England’s top flight and in each of the past two seasons in the Barclays Women’s Super League she has made more saves than anyone else. For Ireland, Brosnan saved a penalty in the Girls in Green‘s crucial World Cup play off against Scotland, before being awarded the Player of the Match award in a match that helped Ireland to their first ever World Cup point.
However uncertainty surrounds that position leading up to the next international break. With Brosnan currently out injured the early signs are not good as to whether she might be fit enough to feature in Ireland’s play off against Belgium. Everton have signed goalkeeper Katie Startup on an emergency loan deal as cover, perhaps demonstrating that Brosnan will not be back anytime soon.
But disappointment for one, can quickly turn to opportunity for another… The Halfway Line takes a look at Carla Ward’s options should Brosnan remain unavailable for the clash with World Cup implications.
Carla Ward’s contenders to start against Belgium
Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic)
Sophie Whitehouse might have never played a match for her nation but she has been knocking on the door. The Charlton stopper has helped her side make a brilliant start to the WSL 2 season sitting top of the tree in the second flight.
Player of the Match in two of her five WSL 2 matches so far this season she has only conceded one goal. That means Whitehouse has kept four clean sheets, double that of the next highest goalkeeper in the league. The Irish shot stopper has a save percentage of 91.7%, the highest in the league by a margin of over 27%. Last season the Charlton number one had the second highest save percentage in the league ranking at around 75%.
With Charlton winning most of their matches by the odd goal Whitehouse’s presence becomes all the more necessary. She made a stunning save to deny compatriot Emily Murphy in the final minutes against Newcastle recently. If Ireland are to nick a result against Belgium a similar performance will be required and Carla Ward will have noted her consistency.
Whitehouse was born in England to an Irish mother and English father but spent her early years living in Kenya. Prior to a pre-season trip to Spain this year with Charlton, Whitehouse told The Halfway Line about a team bonding session with a Sports Psychologist. The team were told if they could only bring two items with them to Spain, what would they be?
“One of mine was the medal that I got from going to the World Cup with Ireland” Whitehouse said. “Then the other one was my tattoo, which is in my sister’s handwriting, and is the coordinates of where my family house is.” A steady and level headed presence on and off the pitch it seems, Whitehouse is ready for her chance.
Grace Moloney (Sunderland)
If Sophie Whitehouse is knocking on the door for that number one shirt Grace Moloney set up camp in the front garden a number of years ago. After a spell without a club last term, in the Summer Grace Moloney signed for WSL 2 club Sunderland. Moloney has the second highest save percentage in the league this season behind Whitehouse at 64.3%. Moloney has kept one clean sheet and like Whitehouse has not made a single error that led to a goal this season.
The last time Brosnan was unavailable for Ireland duty it was Moloney who stepped in. That was under previous head coach Eileen Gleeson in the first leg of Ireland’s EURO 2025 play off against Georgia in Tbilisi which Ireland won 6-0. After Ireland’s record caps holder Emma Byrne hung up her gloves in 2017, Marie Hourihan took up the number one shirt. However after four years as undisputed number one, she played her last game for Ireland in a 3-0 defeat to Germany in qualifying for EURO 2022 with two games to play. Moloney played one and a recent call up to the squad, Courtney Brosnan played the other. Moloney was between the sticks for the final match, a make or break encounter to conclude qualifying at Tallaght Stadium. Despite a spirited display a 3-1 defeat to Germany saw Ireland eliminated from qualifying for EURO 2022.
At that point it seemed Moloney was the natural successor to Hourihan, as a near constant presence in the squad since her debut in 2016. Outside of the national team set up, Moloney had been playing in the WSL and was consistently performing for Reading. However Brosnan’s form and ability was impossible to ignore and Moloney has contented herself with a spot on the bench since.
Moloney is hugely experienced at club level, number one for Reading when the Royals were flying high in the WSL. She has since featured for London City Lionesses and Sunderland. Moloney is a hugely popular figure within the Ireland squad and she has helped cultivate a positive feeling within Ireland’s squad as well as goalkeeper’s union.
When The Halfway Line asked Ireland captain Katie McCabe to speak to Moloney’s qualities a couple of years ago, she beamed: “I think for me Grace Moloney epitomises what a great team mate should be. She comes into camp with a smile on her face, never taking the call up for granted and [is] always so supportive of whatever starting XI goes out there.” Whether that loyalty will be rewarded is up to Carla Ward.
Katie Keane (Leicester City)
Katie Keane is seen in some quarters as the future in this position for Ireland. Keane only received her first call up last October and has yet to be called up by Carla Ward. The promise of the youngster was rubber stamped by her recent signing for WSL side Leicester City this Summer. Last month Keane had a seven day loan with Sheffield United where her penalty save ensured a bonus point in the Subway Women’s League Cup for her side. She also almost helped the Blades to a point against high flying Birmingham City.
Keane was the number one goalkeeper when Athlone Town won the Women’s Premier Division in Ireland in 2024 for the first time. She was also Ireland U19s first choice goalkeeper at the Euros in 2024. Her heroic goalkeeping was one of the highlights for Ireland, as the Irish drew 0-0 against eventual champions Spain due in no small part to Keane’s exploits between the sticks. This opportunity likely comes too soon for Keane but undoubtedly there will be more to come for her.
Wildcard picks for Carla Ward to consider
Carla Ward has been criticised in the past for not looking at the League of Ireland for options. So The Halfway Line has taken a look for her. And it is good news for Ward, with the Women’s Premier Division in Ireland brimming with Irish talent in between the sticks. The league’s standout keeper this season has been DLR Waves number one Eve Badana. Badana has made 118 saves, the most of any other goalkeeper this term. When DLR picked up a shock win away against Shamrock Rovers in July, Badana was Player of the Match, making 10 saves. She also impressed home and away against champions Athlone Town. Badana has been part of the Irish set up before and has done all she can to put her hat in the ring for a call up again this season.
Other younger prospects are Waterford’s Maeve Williams and Sligo Rovers’ Bonnie McKiernan. Both are still only 21 but had the next most saves in the league after Badana this term with 109 and 99 respectively. Nicole Nix is another young keeper at just 18 years old but she has helped Galway progress up the table this term. Just one place below Galway is Wexford and their 24 year old shot stopper Maria O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan has impressed recently for high flying Wexford even in two defeats to Shelbourne and Galway. O’Sullivan has one of the best pass accuracy rates in the division hitting her mark over 85% of the time. Shelbourne’s Amanda McQuillan and Peamount United’s Amanda Budden have the most clean sheets in the league with seven but have been less individually impressive.
Summer Lawless of Shamrock Rovers recently took over in goal for Shamrock Rovers from Katie Keane. Only 20 years old, she has a bright future and demonstrated that against Bohemians recently making two exceptional within a couple of minutes, both one on one against Hannah O’Brien. Lawless’ opposite number that day, Racheal Kelly could provide a leadership option from Bohemians. The captain of the Dublin outfit, Kelly has led Bohs to historic success this season making two cup finals. The first and second in their history.
Looking back to English shores again, Megan Walsh has an outside chance of making the squad again. The keeper, who travelled to Australia for the World Cup as third choice was briefly called upon for West Ham at the start of this season. Walsh struggled initially but made a number of good saves in Subway Women’s League Cup victories for West Ham over Charlton and Brighton. If any of these wildcards are selected, it would likely be as a reserve goalkeeper behind Whitehouse and Moloney.
Verdict: A tough call for Carla Ward
Ireland are blessed with a number of outstanding back up options to Brosnan. This is an important choice for Ward at a pivotal juncture. Belgium are the highest ranked nation Ireland have faced competitively since she took over in January 2025.
While Moloney has the experience, Whitehouse has the form. Exceptional for club, Whitehouse deserves her opportunity for country.
