Ireland 2-1 Sweden
THE IRELAND WOMEN’S Under 19’s secured a third straight win in the UEFA European Championships by beating Sweden 2-1 tonight to reach the semi-finals.
Known as ‘The History Girls’, they produced another remarkable display at the UKI Arena, Jessheim thanks to goals from Savannah McCarthy and Megan Connolly to follow up on the wins over Spain and England.
It wasn’t a great start for Dave Connell’s team as Sweden took the lead after just eight minutes when Stina Blackstenius ran onto a through pass and fired in from a tight angle.
Typical of this Ireland team though, they set about responding straight away. With Chloe Mustaki leading by example in midfield, the momentum started to swing towards the girls in green.
Clever running off the ball from Katie McCabe, Sarah Rowe, and Amy O’Connor pulled Sweden away from their central base, while Grace Wright and Keeva Keenan got forward from full-back.
The only thing missing was a measured pass and Connolly provided it on 21 minutes. A free-kick inside her own half didn’t look like being a threat but she picked out McCarthy to head in.
Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic couldn’t get to McCarthy’s looping header, but she did well to deny McCabe two minutes later when the Raheny United attacker unleashed a shot at goal.
With temperatures soaring at pitch level, referee Zuzana Kovacova called for a cooling break on the half hour but it was more of the same from Ireland once play resumed.
A shot from distance from Julia Anna Ekholm tested the alertness of keeper Brooke Dunne, although Connell’s team finished the first half on top. And they set about building on it in the second period.
Sweden, who needed a win by a two-goal margin, tried to score again with Ekholm firing at Dunne again, however Ireland’s organisation held their opponents off and they used the ball well.
A second goal was next on the wishlist and Connolly supplied it on 80 minutes. After McCabe earned a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, the Cork native curled in an effort via the underside of the crossbar.
Ireland then held on to record a huge win and they will be back in action on Thursday, where they will be prepared to write another chapter in history as the final is only one more game away,
Ireland: Dunne; Keenan, O’Connell, McCarthy, Wright; Connolly, Mustaki, Dwyer; Rowe (Shine 58), O’Connor, McCabe (Carson 88).
Sweden: Musovic; Ekholm, Bjorn, E Karlsson, N Karlsson; Andersson (Angeldal 76), Hurtig, Wahlberg, Curmark (Okvist h-t); Blackstenius, Olme (Jansson 70).
Referee: Zuzana Kovacova (Slovakia).
Excellent well done ladies. Fantastic result from a super team. Very proud of you….. Let’s hope you go all the way!!
Good luck in the semi’s…
Put a smile on everyone face again today girls. Fair play. Hope ya do the business in semi and get to a well deserved final.
Absolutely brilliant week, an example to all young footballers in the country, boys or girls, follow your dreams, anything can happen.
Fantastic performance from the girls. Sweden are a traditional powerhouse in European Women’s football. Best of luck in the semis!!
Jeez,theres no stopping these ladies,i thought beating spain was fantastic,but now into the semifinal, RTE were late copping on to the sucess of the senior ladies rugby team,maybe they will now televise their next game against the Netherlands.
Brilliant girls well fone
It was tipping 34 degrees Celsius in parts of Norway today for anyone wondering about the cooling breaks =o
Amazing girls …Well done to all…..Bring on Holland
Putting the lads to shame well done girls!
Thats brilliant! COYGIG
If only the FAI would wake up and realise that the men’s team is going nowhere until we stop sending players to England at the age of 14/15/16 and keep them here to develop them!
They need to sort the League Of Ireland out and then set-up academies within Ireland.
A few lookers in the bunch
Is there?
I really don’t understand it! It makes no sense!! Could the 3 or 4 red thumbs please explain what offends them about the U 19′s fantastic achievement? Can you make a comment to explain yourselves or should the rest of the country just write you off for the morons we all presume you are?
Number 3 is from Kerry
Phenomenal achievement! Anybody know when the FAI are due to publish their new technical development plan?
While your here Larry , you still owe me for the 17 Nigerian lottery ‘s I’ve won .
Amazing girls!!! Rte should televise the semi!!!
Definitely… The girls deserve the coverage. They covered womens ruby matches and that has less than 1300 women playing in the country. There are over 12000 women playing soccer, it’s over 10 times more popular
Back to junior infants maths ffs.
Conor … Conor … Conor , if you save every man woman and child on the planet from a doomsday meteor strike while simultaneously curing cancer and aid while solving world poverty and hunger and war …… You would still get some red thumbs …. Welcome to the interwebs
This is virtually word for word the same article as the one on rte news app. So who’s plagiarizing who
Superb!
Anyone who knows ladies football knows Sweden are a power house at all levels of the game this is as far bigger win when this fact is taken into account on wards and upwards ladies better things hopefully to come
Does anyone else remember all the Facebook like pages about Sarah Rowe?
Well done great result.not many irish teams have done what ye have done.proud irishman here