An unfortunate own goal from Shauna Fox and a much-debated second goal finished off by Olivia Fergusson sees the British side pip Ireland into 9th place.
Both sides were not fast out of the blocks as the toll of consecutive games showed but both created chances with Fergusson striking the post for GB and Irish captain Amber Barrett unable to direct a Jetta Berrill through ball on-target first time.
The UCD full-back was forced to come off midway through the first half when suffering a blow to the face that caused injury. Whilst Berrill was being treated by the Irish medical staff, Britain took the lead when a cross down the Louth native’s side from Kirsty Howat deflected off Shauna Fox and into the Irish net.
Berrill had to admit defeat in returning to the pitch and she was replaced by Niamh McLaughlin. However, the Northumbria University student only lasted seven minutes when she twisted her knee in a challenge and fell to the ground. She will await the results of a scan to determine the severity of the injury but did leave the pitch of her own accord.
Ireland began the second half positively and tried to restore parity early on with a well-worked move that fed Aoibhin Webb through with the Wexford Youths attacker forcing a good save out of GB goalkeeper Megan Walsh. The second goal for GB came twelve minutes into the second half when a combination from Madeline Hill and Fergusson saw the latter force the ball home.
Whilst Great Britain celebrated the goal, the Irish players furiously surrounded the referee looking for the goal to be disallowed. Replays showed that Hill was several yards offside when she received the ball off Fergusson and that she had ran the ball out over the by-line before returning the ball for the final finish.
Ireland tried desperately to pull a goal back with Fox going close a few times from headers from set pieces, and Claire O’Riordan also had a shot which needed to be tipped over. Ireland will arrive back home to Dublin Airport on Wednesday afternoon.
Ireland – Badana, McNamara, Fox, Carroll, Berrill (McLaughlin 29’ (O’Riordan 36’)), Walsh, Byrne (Clancy 66’), Frawley, Nolan, Barrett, Webb (Jarrett 77’)
Subs Unused: Budden (GK), Mustaki, McCarthy, Kinsella, Ryan-Doyle.
Great Britain – Walsh, Gemma Evans, Johnson, Georgia Evans, Hill, Donovan (Kelly 84’), Howat, Dodds, Quinn, Lloyd, Fergusson.
Subs Unused: Sansom (GK), Wilson, Sievwright, Dobson, Lord-Mears, Falconer, Dixon, Morris.
via GET Sportonline
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