Ireland held on to win 3-2 against Poland and edge ahead in the race for third place.
20:25, 14 Apr 2026Updated 20:51, 14 Apr 2026
Ireland’s Katie McCabe celebrates after the win against Poland(Image: INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
After two agonisingly late defeats last month to France and the Netherlands, Ireland picked up their first win of the World Cup qualification campaign on Tuesday night.
Crucially, the three points secured against Poland in Gdansk have put Carla Ward’s side in pole position to claim third place in Group A2 – and a significantly less challenging World Cup play-off path.
But how did the Girls in Green do in Gdansk? Here’s how we saw it.
Courtney Brosnan
Beaten twice and had little else to do. Lost out at her near post for the first and was caught out by Ewa Pajor’s lob as the hosts attempted to claim a late draw. 6
Anna Patten
What a block to deny Ewa Pajor in the first-half. Between herself and Caitlin Hayes, they lost Pajor for Poland’s second, but overall solid. 7
Caitlin Hayes
Dominant in the air once again and solid on an evening when there wasn’t a whole lot to do defensively. See above for Poland’s second goal. 6
Chloe Mustaki
Grew into the game after a quiet opening, and was a presence in Ireland’s attacking play. 7
Aoife Mannion
A contender for player of the match with her strong attacking play from wing-back. Contributed to Ireland’s third goal. 8
Megan Connolly
Contributed to a dominant Irish midfield display, although she might have exerted more pressure on Tanja Pawollek for Poland’s first. 7
Denise O’Sullivan
No sign of injury as she played her part in Emily Murphy’s opener and brought about the pressure that led to Marissa Sheva’s second-half strike. 8
Marissa Sheva
She is getting better and better with each performance. An aggressive display with plenty of guile in attack, as she claimed an assist and a goal of her own. 8
Katie McCabe
Played a crucial role in Ireland’s first and scored an absolute cracker for the second – one for the highlights reel. A missed penalty was a blot on an otherwise excellent display. 8
Abbie Larkin
A missed chance early on aside, she struggled to exert herself against the Polish defence. 6
Emily Murphy
Another top class display by the Newcastle United forward, who scored one, made another for Sheva and won the penalty. 9
SUBS
Amber Barrett for Larkin 69: 6
Jess Ziu for Sheva 86