Tom O’Connor has a full squad to choose from ahead of Tuesday’s opening game of the Irish women’s European Championship qualifying campaign. Katie McCabe and co are anxious to kick things off with a win but will be confident as they head into a game against
Ireland open their 2021 European Championship qualifiers against a Montenegro side that was beaten 10-0 by Germany over the weekend.
Captain Katie McCabe and co. are confident ahead of their clash at Tallaght Stadium next week Tuesday, however they will not be taking the Montenegro side lightly.
McCabe has re-affirmed that the visiting side both “strengths and weaknesses” which the Irish players will continue to weigh up in advance of the kick-off.
“We’ve looked at the game from Saturday and nobody is taking anything for granted,” said the Arsenal player. “We’re really happy with the preparation and we can’t wait for this campaign to just get started now. We want to qualify and to do that [automatically] we need to top the group so that is what we will be trying to do.”
Tom O’Connor will take charge of Ireland again, as the interim-coach. The Dubliner took charge for the recent friendly in the US where the expectation was that a permanent appointment would have been made by now. The association has since been rebuffed by a number of high-profile coaches it sought to recruit and O’Connor, who has been interviewed for the position, remains hopeful despite the general expectation that an outsider will still eventually be hired.
“Look, I’ve loved every minute of it,” he says. “As a young player you want to play at the highest level. As a young manager it is the same and I’m currently the custodian of a senior international team so I’m delighted. Whatever happens, I’ll be on board in some shape or form.”
Admission to the game is just €5 for adults and McCabe says she is hoping that some of the positive publicity the women’s game has had over the summer has an effect.
“I’m hoping that off the back of the World Cup and the fact that RTÉ covered it, it’s been shown that women’s football is something to come and watch.”
Squad: Marie Hourihan (SC Braga), Grace Moloney (Reading); Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Louise Quinn (Arsenal), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Megan Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), Diane Caldwell (SC Sand), Claire O’Riordan (MSV Duisburg), Eabha O’Mahony (Cork City); Tyler Toland (Manchester City), Claire Walsh (Peamount United), Eleanor Ryan-Doyle (Peamount United), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Jess Gargan (Shelbourne); Amber Barrett (FC Köln), Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Rianna Jarrett (Wexford Youths), Heather Payne (Florida State University), Chloe Singleton (Galway), Stephanie Roche (CF Florentia).
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