Ward hails 'proper Irish performance' in Poland victory
Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward praised her team's effort after securing a vital 1-0 victory against Poland in World Cup qualifying. The win marked the second consecutive triumph over Poland within a week, positioning Ireland strongly to finish third in Group A2.
Marissa Sheva scored the decisive goal in the first half at the Aviva Stadium, ensuring Ward's side took the lead in the standings. This result potentially offers Ireland a more favourable play-off path for next year's World Cup in Brazil.
"I'm incredibly proud of this group in this camp. I spoke to them this morning because it's always difficult to play the same opponent twice," Ward told RTE.
"This group, they are an absolute joy to work with and that was a proper Irish performance.
"The last 20 minutes, we've been conceding opportunities and we wanted to make sure that didn't happen.
"There's so much to come from them and this performance is absolutely huge."
'This group has something special' - O'Sullivan
Midfielder Denise O'Sullivan, who earned her 131st cap for the Republic of Ireland during the match, also expressed pride in the team's resilient display. She nearly doubled the lead in the second half when her volley struck the crossbar.
O'Sullivan highlighted the team's defensive discipline, noting how they effectively contained Poland's captain and Barcelona player Ewa Pajor. After closely challenging strong teams like the Netherlands and France, O'Sullivan believes Ireland is gaining significant momentum under Ward's leadership despite a challenging start.
"We knew Poland would come out with something different and they were a bit more aggressive with their full-backs and were a bit more tight in midfield, their winger came in and marked me but all round, amazing performance," she told RTE.
"If you look, everyone turned up at the Aviva and stuck together. That is what we are about and I think this group has something special.
We have a lot more to give, this team has really improved. We are improving every camp and we'll look for points against Netherlands and France."
