In a disappointing international friendly in front of a record crowd of 7 633 at Tallaght Stadium, Ireland suffered a 3-0 defeat against France last night.
The Girls in Green put up a strong fight in the first half, frustrating France and dominating long stretches of play. There was a moment of hope when Farrelly flicked the ball to Carusa, who successfully scored, but it was disallowed due to an offside flag.
Les Bleus' persistent attack paid off as they managed to score two quick goals by Maelle Lakrar and Eugenie Le Sommer just before halftime, followed by a third early from Lakrar in the second half. The night became even more disheartening for Ireland when captain Katie McCabe suffered an apparent ankle injury. She was substituted in the 30th minute for Izzy Atkinson.
Manager Vera Pauw confirmed that McCabe rolled her ankle after stepping on an opposition player's foot, but the severity of the injury is yet to be determined.
Ireland will travel to Australia to continue their World Cup preparation. Their first match in the tournament will be against the hosts in Sydney on 20 July.
Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Heather Payne (Aine O’Gorman 69), Niamh Fahey (Claire O’Riordan 69), Louise Quinn, Megan Connolly (Diane Caldwell 80), Katie McCabe (Izzy Atkinson 31); Sinead Farrelly (Abbie Larkin 80), Denise O’Sullivan, Ruesha Littlejohn (Lily Agg 69), Marissa Sheva; Kyra Carusa.
France: Pauline Peyraud-Magnin; Maelle Lakrar (Eve Perisset 74), Wendie Renard, Estelle Cascarino, Sakina Karchaoui (Viviane Asseyi 84); Grace Geyoro (Amel Majri 84), Sandie Toletti, Kenza Dali (Elisa De Almeida 61); Kadidiatou Diani (Clara Mateo 61), Eugenie Le Sommer (Naomie Feller 74), Selma Bacha.
Referee: Kirsty Dowle (England).
