25.02.2010 at 19:30 Richmond Park
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Attendance: 700 |
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin). |
Friendly-match |
Stephanie Roche (76)
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Sonia Bompaster (Pen) 52 mins; Marie Laure Delie 82 mins; |
Women's Friendly International
Republic of Ireland 1-2 France
The Republic of Ireland Women's senior team lost to France at Richmond Park tonight (Thursday) through the concession of a goal eight minutes from time.
Noel King selected his side with a view to preparing for next month's World Cup qualifying double-header against Israel and Switzerland, drafting Fiona O'Sullivan and Yvonne Tracy into the team as changes to the starting side from their last outing against Kazakhstan.
Treacy sprung from the bench for the injured Stephanie Curtis on that October day in Taldykorgan to score a late winner but she was back on defensive duties tonight to marshal a nimble French attack.
From the second minute when Corine Franco looped a shot over from the edge of the box, it was the French who owned the ball where it mattered for the next half hour.
Ireland were allowed a let-off with 20 minutes gone when Camille Abily was left completely unmarked at the back post from a left-wing cross and her rushed shot from six yards sailed high over Emma Byrne's crossbar.
Abily sent another effort a yard wide of the post just past the half hour mark but Ireland then got to grips with the game and began to threaten.
Seven minutes before the break, striker Fiona O'Sullivan sped past Laure Lepailleur towards goal but the French centre-back recovered in time to produce a superbly-timed tackle to prevent the Irish forward having a shot.
O'Sullivan did manage to lose her marker on 43 minutes when he raced clear onto Shannon McDonnell's past but yet goalkeeper Berangere Sapiwicz stopped the shot with her legs. 405238
France regained their attacking impetus early in the second half and surged ahead on 52 minutes with a hotly-contested penalty following a collision between Emma Byrne and Eugenie Le Sommer. Sonia Bompaster stepped up to stroke the spot-kick to the left of Byrne and into the net.
French skipper Soubeyrand floated a shot just over the crossbar on the hour but Ireland, aided by the pace of half-time substitute Julie Ann Russell on the left-wing, began to pressurise the visitors.
The Salthill Devon flanker forced a corner on 65 minutes and, from Aine O'Gorman's delivery, O'Sullivan leapt high and headed the ball off the bar.
Russell, seven minutes later, controlled O'Sullivan's low cross and saw her bullet shot well stopped by Sapiwicz.
Ireland's dominance in the final third paid dividends on 76 minutes as Stephanie Roche, another interval substitute, burst through the inside left channel and rounded the advancing ‘keeper before angling home the equaliser.
However, it was France who had the final say as eight minutes from time, a mix-up between Fahey and Byrne inside the six-yard box from a left-wing cross allowed substitute Marie Laure Delie to capitalise by tapping home.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Emma Byrne (Arsenal); Mary Therese McDonnell (Chicago Red Stars), Yvonne Tracy (Arsenal), Niamh Fahey (Arsenal), Ciara McCormack (Kolbotn FC); Ciara Grant (Arsenal), Jemma Connor (Birmingham City), Shannon McDonnell (Unattached); Aine O'Gorman (Stella Maris), Fiona O'Sullivan (Sacramento Storm), Michele O'Brien (Chicago Red 11).
Substitutions: Julie-Ann Russell (Salthill Devon) for S. McDonnell, Stephanie Roche (Raheny United) for Connor (both 46 mins)
FRANCE: Sapiwicz; Tandia, Georges, Lapailleur, Boulleau; Abily, Franco, Soubeyrand, Bompastor; Le Sommer, Thiney. Subs: Deville, Viguier, Meilleroux, Herbert, Coquet, Necib, Delie.
REFEREE: Paul Tuite (Dublin). |
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