Nations League A: Republic of Ireland 1 (McCabe 12) France (Malard 71,79)
Melvine Malard came off the French bench to spoil what was bubbling into a famous night for Irish football.
Katie McCabe’s cool first-half finish had the Republic of Ireland closing in on all three points in this opening World Cup qualifier until Malard’s double strike.
Agonisingly, Denise O’Sullivan’s injury-time shot hit Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s head on the French goal line.
“They got away with one,” said Emily Murphy, the fully-deserving player of the match.
The loss leaves Ireland bottom of Group A2 as Poland drew 2-2 with the Netherlands in Gdansk.
This Ireland team has a habit of starting slow. Over the years, they have needed a jolt. An error or a sloppy goal conceded before springing into gear.
Not here. Carla Ward’s side were switched on from the kick-off. They had to be. Inside two minutes, Lyon winger Kadidiatou Diani pinned down McCabe, forcing the Ireland captain to concede a corner.
No problem. Anna Patten and Caitlin Hayes had the Irish back five primed to win all the aerial duels.
Before the game could settle into waves of French attacks, O’Sullivan snapped on to the ball and slid a pass that invited Murphy to sprint towards the penalty area. Elisa De Almeida pulled her down and took the yellow card before Murphy could shoot, which resulted in Megan Connolly forcing a parried save from Constance Picaud.
Patten was next to clip a long ball for Murphy to chest down and hit a tame shot at Picaud.
Seconds later, McCabe pick-pocked Diani and sent Murphy dribbling into the box, where the Newcastle United forward returned the favour with a no-look assist for her overlapping skipper to bury a first-time effort.
Katie McCabe celebrates scoring for Ireland. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA
The celebratory huddle was nothing of the sort. McCabe used the moment to relay instructions to her team-mates before she was booked for swiping across De Almeida.
The rest of the first-half was a study in Ireland holding their shape as France tried to walk through them with an array of Champions League quality like Perle Morroni and Clara Mateo. O’Sullivan was at the heart of the Irish resistance despite her troublesome knee needing attention. The Liverpool midfielder was not long discarding her strapping to play through the pain.
A special night was brewing before an official attendance of 8,376 (the actual turnout looked closer to 7,000).
The scene was set for a backs-to-the-wall second-half as France head coach Laurent Bonadei wasted no time changing his line-up; Katoto replaced Mateo to bring a more physical presence and deny Hayes another 45 minutes of free headers.
Hayes was outstanding for 90-plus minutes, even drawing another Picaud parry from an inswinging McCabe free-kick.
Ireland stubbornly refused to sit deep with Murphy constantly offering an exit strategy while O’Sullivan’s speculative back-flicked volley almost made it 2-0 on the hour mark.
Other less heralded players stood out. Chloe Mustaki was efficient in the tackle and Marissa Sheva has to be the most improved Irish player since the 2023 World Cup.
In the 67th minute, when Carusa then Murphy needed to be hacked down before Swedish referee Tess Ologsson blew her whistle, it seemed like the French were losing their composure.
Perhaps Bonadei noticed. As Abbie Larkin warmed up to relieve Carusa, after a solid shift as the lone striker, Malard proved an inspired substitution.
France’s Melvine Malard celebrates scoring her second goal. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
The Manchester United attacker had France level within seconds of her arrival, weaving inside McCabe and outside Mustaki to roll the equaliser beyond Courtney Brosnan.
The winning goal felt soft. Following a brilliant block by Mustaki, the resulting corner was not cleared as Malard arrowed a third French shot through the thicket of green bodies.
Suddenly, Irish legs were heavy. France piled forward. Ward reacted by sending on Amber Barrett, but the heroics of Hampden Park were not repeated in Tallaght.
It ended in wildly dramatic circumstances as Ireland crowded the French box, pleading for three separate penalties, especially when Barrett’s shot smashed off Thiniba Samoura’s arm.
In the dying seconds of time added on, O’Sullivan hit the target only for the ball to bounce off Katoto’s forehead.
France were blessed. Ireland solider on, facing the Netherlands in Utrecht on Saturday.
REP OF IRELAND: Brosnan; Mannion, Patten, Hayes, Mustaki, McCabe; O’Sullivan, Connolly (Barrett 85), Sheva; Murphy; Carusa (Larkin 70).
FRANCE: Picaud; De Almeida (N’Dongala 69), Samoura, Lakrar, Morroni (Malard 69); Geyoro, Jean-Francois (Ebayilin 86), Karchaoui; Diani (Sombath 86), Mateo (Katoto HT), Baltimore.
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden).