A knife edge and a dead rubber - the two very differing states of play ahead of the second legs of Euro qualifiers for the two Irish women’s teams.
While Northern Ireland need a miracle in Norway if they are to reach their second Euros, the Republic of Ireland ‘only’ require a home win over Wales to secure their continental debut in Switzerland next year.
Although it took an own goal by the Welsh goalkeeper for the visitors to secure a 1-1 draw in the first leg on Friday, the hosts will be favourites in Dublin.
A large and loud home support should be one factor in the favour of Eileen Gleeson’s team. The attendance of 16,845 in the Cardiff City Stadium was a record for Welsh women’s football – but more than 20,000 tickets had been sold for the second leg over a week ago.
More importantly, the Irish are a superior side, although they’ll have to prove that on the pitch.
They largely performed very creditably in their ‘group of death’, including only losing by one-goal margins away to England, Sweden, and France, before beating the French 3-1 in the last match.
Ireland then cruised through the first round of qualifiers, thrashing Georgia 9-0 on aggregate, including winning 6-0 away from home in the first leg.
Wales had a much tougher test, and only scraped through 3-2 on aggregate past Slovakia, having lost the away opener 2-1. Before that they’d gone unbeaten through group B4, with four wins and two draws against Ukraine, Croatia, and Kosovo.
Ireland’s women have had much the better of this particular rivalry, with five wins to just one for the Welsh before last week’s draw.
Getting captain Katie McCabe further advanced on the left flank could be key to a sixth victory, while the attacking strength in depth including Amber Barrett and Leanne Kiernan might also make the difference for the ‘girls in green’.
Realistically the task for Northern Ireland in Norway is to try and keep the score down. Tanya Oxtoby’s team restricted the Norwegians to just one goal in the second half at Inver Park – unfortunately they had conceded three inside the opening half hour.
A tactical tweak at half-time helped, with Chloe McCarron coming on to stiffen up the midfield, and a dogged defensive display surely has to be the aim to avoid a confidence-sapping heavy defeat.
One of the many worries for the visitors is that Norway only brought striker Ada Hegerberg off the bench in Larne and the six-time Women’s Champions League winner with Lyon is seeking to bring up her half-century of senior international goals in what would be her 86th appearance.
Barcelona playmaker Caroline Graham Hansen was the star in the first leg, scoring two goals, and needs just two more to reach 50 herself – having netted 11 against Northern Ireland in her career.
NI are clearly a team in transition, Oxtoby having blooded plenty of younger players, so while their qualification journey will surely end in Oslo, they will want to provide hope for the near future with a decent display.
