A magical Melvine Malard double secured all three points for France against Ireland at Tallaght Stadium in front of a crowd of 8,376 on Tuesday night.
France were behind early in the first half after an excellent Katie McCabe finish gave the home side the lead. However France’s stacked bench told in the second half with Malard’s double ending Ireland’s stubborn resistance.
Ireland began their FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign with the visit of France to Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday night. Carla Ward’s side were in League A by virtue of a 5-4 aggregate promotion/relegation play off victory over Belgium at the end of 2025. That result meant that Ireland became the first nation from League B to win a promotion/relegation play off against a League A side.
Carla Ward‘s charges were without Hayley Nolan who was replaced in the squad by Tara O’Hanlon yesterday. Aside from that the squad was at full strength and Ward made three changes from the side that stole past Belgium into League A in Leuven. Number one goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan returned, as did Megan Connolly of Lazio. Anna Patten was given the nod to start after scoring against France the last time the sides met.
France were without their number one goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin who failed a late fitness test on Monday night. That meant that France’s second keeper Constance Picaud started in Dublin on Tuesday night. That was one of four changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Sweden in their last match of 2025. Griedge Mbock Bathy and Kessya Bussy did not make the match day squad after being ruled out through injury and Laurina Fazer was dropped to the bench. In their place came Oriane Jean-François, Sandy Baltimore and Thiniba Samoura returning.
Some key players had failed to make the trip for Les Bleues due to injury, with each of Delphine Cascarino, Selma Bacha and Naomi Feller unavailable. Cascarino’s sister Estelle, who recently signed for West Ham featured in the squad for the first time since 2024. Elsewhere in the group Poland drew 2-2 with Netherlands providing a chance for both sides to take early control of the group.
The Lineups
IRE: Brosnan; McCabe, Mustaki, Hayes, Patten, Mannion; O’Sullivan, Connolly, Sheva; Murphy, Carusa
FRA: Picaud; Bacha, Sombath, Samoura, De Almeida; Karchaoui, Geyoro, Jean-François; Baltimore, Diani, Mateo
The Action
After early French pressure, Ireland broke quickly and effectively within the first five minutes. Kyra Carusa held up the ball in midfield before tapping it into the path of Denise O’Sullivan. The Liverpool midfielder drove into the French half finding Emily Murphy almost through on goal, Elisa De Almeida brought Murphy down just outside the box. The referee brandished a yellow card with the crowd baying for red. The PSG right back was saved by the covering run of Samoura.
From the resultant free kick Ireland had their first effort on goal. Connolly took aim but Picaud did well to parry it out for a corner kick. The Irish kept up the pressure with a looping ball to the back post cleverly re-directed by Katie McCabe into the box. Patten met it with her head but it simple for Picaud.
Ireland once again came close to opening the scoring again with 10 minutes on the clock. Patten, again involved played an excellent long ball which was chested down with a plom by Emily Murphy but her effort was well saved by Picaud. Ireland would not be denied the lead however. On 12 minutes, Kadidiatou Diani was caught flat footed on the halfway line as McCabe nicked the ball off her toe. She played a beautiful ball down the wing to Murphy, who found her way into the box. Murphy held onto the ball for just the right amount of time before slotting the ball into the path of the on rushing McCabe. McCabe took aim with a low drive and found the bottom corner, if Tallaght Stadium had a roof it would have come off.
France had possession in advanced areas as the half went on but they were struggling to get shots off. A smart ball from De Almeida found Clara Matteo in space in the box but her effort was blocked with the follow up from Diani missing the mark. The French attack was missing that final touch of magic with long range efforts from Sakina Karchaoui and Oriane Jean-François missing the target. Ireland went in at half time a goal to the good having prevented France from mustering a shot on target in the first 45 minutes.
A slow start to the second half was punctuated by another chance for Ireland. After Carusa had done well to win a free kick in the midfield, the ball into the box was met by the head of Caitlin Hayes who forced Picaud into a save. France started pushing more bodies into advanced positions and leaving spaces in behind. France levelled proceedings with an excellent slice of individual brilliance from Melvine Malard. Dancing between Irish defenders Malard found the bottom corner with a powerful drive.
With 15 minutes to play the match took on a more transitional style with both sides seeking maximum points. It was France who struck to take the lead, a strike from Diani seemed to ricochet off a French arm before the ball fell to Malard who tucked it away with consummate ease. Ireland pushed for an equaliser and were denied a penalty after Amber Barrett’s shot was blocked by seemingly an outstretched French arm with minutes remaining.
Ireland almost found a winner when chaos reigned inside the French six yard box with moments left on the clock. After a McCabe delivery into the box found O’Sullivan she fired at goal but her effort was headered off the line by Marie-Antoinette Katoto to deny a leveller. The equaliser would not come for Ireland and France held on for a 2-1 win.
Ireland Player Ratings
GK: Courtney Brosnan – 6.5/10 – Was largely untested in the first half, made a good save from Jean-François. Two unerring finishes from Malard would have been extremely difficult to stop.
RWB: Aoife Mannion– 6.5/10 – Mannion misplaced a couple of early passes but grew into the match and made it difficult for Baltimore to have an impact. Mannion had a harder time managing her old team mate Malard when she came off the bench however.
RCB: Anna Patten – 8/10 – Played an excellent through ball that gave a great chance to the feet of Murphy. Put her body in front of everything, rarely put a foot wrong.
CB: Caitlin Hayes – 8/10 – An early diving header from Hayes helped settle the nerves and drew the first cheer of the night from the Tallaght faithful. Was effective in defensive situations.
LCB: Chloe Mustaki – 8/10 – Supported McCabe in her defensive duties with expertise, at times was not alert to balls played through the lines on her side. Was extremely calm in possession.
LWB: Katie McCabe– 8/10 – Made the goal with excellent play down the left hand side. Her one-two with Murphy was exceptional. Faded in the second part of the first half and should have defended better for the French leveller.
CM: Denise O’Sullivan – 8/10 – Went down after struggling with her knee but soldiered on as Denise O’Sullivan is liable to do. Perhaps was beaten too easily in midfield for the French leveller. However she won the ball in midfield time and time again, showed her technical ability with a majestic flick which almost found the net… Invaluable.
CM: Megan Connolly – 7.5/10 – Helped dictate the tempo in this one, an excellent range of passing and tested Picaud with an early free kick. Tired after a huge shift in midfield. Made a fantastic sliding interception in the second half.
CM: Marissa Sheva – 8/10 – Had a couple moments of magical close control to escape PSG’s Karchaoui and OL Lyonnes’ Kadidiatou Diani and set up an Irish counter. Sheva was tireless in midfield, dropping into the six and operating at the eight where required.
ST: Emily Murphy – 8/10 – Hold up play for the opening goal was sublime, showed intelligence on and off the ball. Her positioning and pace were just as impressive. Finishing needs to improve.
ST: Kyra Carusa – 8/10 – Never stops running, demonstrated some good one touch play. Didn’t have the pace to trouble France on the break in a foot race but her vision and awareness did. Defensively diligent.
SUBS
Abbie Larkin – 6/10 – (Carusa 70′) – Struggled to get up to the pace of the match, came on as France had found themselves in the ascendency.
Amber Barrett – 6.5/10 – (Connolly 85′) – Hustled and harried the French defence after coming on.
France Player Ratings
GK: Constance Picaud – 7/10 – Made a couple of smart early saves that would have helped her confidence. Perhaps should have closed the angle for McCabe’s opener quicker.
RB: Elisa De Almeida – 6.5/10 – Missed a couple of early passes that should have found their mark, struggled to deal with McCabe, Sheva and Murphy’s interplay. Played some great passes in the offensive third.
RCB: Thiniba Samoura – 7.5/10 – Made an excellent covering run which ensured De Almeida was not sent off in the opening exchanges. Looked nervy when closed down by Murphy.
LCB: Maëlle Lakrar – 7/10 – Did a good job of marshalling Kyra Carusa ensuring she had no joy running in behind.
LB: Perle Morroni – 7/10 – A quiet evening as Ireland and France both attacked on the other side.
CM: Oriane Jean-François – 7.5/10 – Her run and shot in the first half was one of the few bright moments for the French in the first 45.
CM: Grace Geyoro – 6/10 – Played as the highest midfielder for much of the match with a limited impact. Since joining London City Lionesses she has not looked like her former self.
CM: Sakina Karchaoui – 7.5/10 – As France were struggling in the early minutes Karchaoui attempted to arrest the Irish momentum with mixed success.
RW: Kadidiatou Diani – 7/10 – Had a tough opening 25 minutes but always remained a threat, began to get the better of McCabe as the first half wore on.
LW: Sandy Baltimore – 6.5/10 – Struggled to impact the game in the way she would have liked.
ST: Clara Mateo – 5.5/10 – Came off at half time having struggled with the physicality of the Irish defence.
SUBS
Marie-Antoinette Katoto – 7.5/10 – ( Matteo 46′) – Did not have a huge impact on the match after coming on until the final moments where her header off the line saved France.
Melvine Malard – 9/10 – (Morroni 69′) – Had a devastating impact off the bench, scored a brilliant equaliser, changed the game.
Melween N’Dongala – 6.5/10 – (De Almeida 69′) – Allowed France to spring forward in attack when needed after coming on against Ireland.
Anaïs Ebayilin – N/A – (Jean-François 87′)
Alice Sombath – N/A – (Diani 87′)
