Northern Ireland Women's Football Round Off Fairy-tale Year With Memorable Win Over Italy
Lauren McCann
Northern Ireland Women closed the chapter on an unforgettable year for female football in the country with another terrific performance as they masterminded a 1-0 win against Italy at a packed Seaview on Tuesday evening.
It was Kenny Shiels’ side’s first game on home soil since the historic Euro 2022 campaign and it was evident that they are on the path to righting the wrongs which saw them lose all three group games against three quality sides.
It was always going to be a tough test, but this is what Northern Ireland need if they are going to continue to improve and challenge to qualify for major tournaments on a regular basis.
Last night’s typically spirited performance shows that they are still capable to spring an upset and thrive on the underdog tag.
Italy went into the game as clear favourites. They are ranked 14th in the world, and unlike Northern Ireland, qualified for the 2023 World Cup as group winners. They have a squad packed with players lining out in the professional Serie A every week.
To put that into context, Northern Ireland are ranked 49th in the world and in this squad had sixteen players playing semi-professionally in the Irish Premiership in the latest squad, although this is set to change when the league turns professional next year.
The beginning of the changing of the guard, post Euros, which began in earnest in the September friendlies was more prevalent in Shiels’ squad announcement and in his selection last night. Cliftonville’s Fi Morgan was called up with Ashley Hutton, a veteran of the squad retiring. Rachel Furness was absent and Simone Magill is still out with ACL injury. These players were previously pillars of the team, and Shiels recognises that new ones need to be found.
Northern Ireland Women shocked Italy on their first game back on home soil since the Euros.
Stalwart Julie Nelson, the country’s most capped player was also benched as Cliftonville’s emerging star Kelsie Burrows replaced her and only further enhanced her burgeoning reputation on the international stage with a commanding display. Emily Wilson, a young pacy forward who has shone for Crusaders this season also started on the wing ahead of Kirsty McGuinness with Joely Andrews making a huge impact as a half time substitute and Caitlin McGuinness also causing problems when she came on.
The young players are really starting to step up to the plate and were aided by the usual reliable performances from the more experienced members of the squad, particularly in defence, where Sarah McFadden and Demi Vance were superb in front of Jackie Burns who was back to her best in-between the sticks.
Northern Ireland limited Italy’s chances and it was fitting that it would be McFadden to score the winner on her 95th cap to top off her colossal performance.
She reacted quickest to bundle home from a corner after Wilson’s initial effort was saved by the goalkeeper. It came just moments after Andrews had seen her shot tipped behind. Northern Ireland managed to score during their best spell of the game, something which has cost them in previous fixtures.
Substitute Caitlin McGuinness came agonisingly close to adding a deserved second for Northern Ireland, but saw her weak effort cleared off the line.
Despite Italy pressing for an equaliser, Northern Ireland did not wilt and held on for another memorable win under the lights at Seaview, which is quickly becoming a fortress with the narrow pitch suiting Shiels’ style of play.
There is so much to like about this current crop of players and so much excitement about the next generation of players coming through. The likes of Andrews, Wilson, Caitlin McGuinness, Burrows as well as Toni Leigh Finnegan, Morgan, Abbie Magee and Kerry Beattie are all under the age of 22 and playing regularly at club level and many now with major tournament experience. There is plenty more still to come from them and expect to see them featuring more regularly next year.
The Inaugural Women’s Nations League introduced next September will enable Northern Ireland to continue to challenge against higher nations in competitive fixtures, and Tuesday showed they certainly have the appetite to do so and banish the hurt of missing out on World Cup qualification after sampling the taste of a major tournament in the summer.
The IFA will look to give players a sustained break as a reward for the hard work this year, before organising more friendlies to prepare for that Nations League campaign next year, which provides an enticing alternative route to qualification for the next European Championships.
Only time will tell whether like the men’s team’s qualification for Euro 2016, the 2022 Euros in England will be the height of success under Shiels, but the Italy game suggests there is still plenty to come from this squad who continue to defy the odds.
Lauren McCann is The Scoop’s Sport Editor and an English and Spanish student at Queen’s University Belfast.