Ireland 1 Wales 2 FT as it happened: Euro 2025 playoff second leg

Some of the post-match reaction and report:
[ Ireland’s Euro 2025 dream dies as canny Wales make history with qualificationOpens in new window ]
[ Ireland let glorious Euros opportunity slip from their fingers after heartbreaking Welsh defeatOpens in new window ]
[ Malachy Clerkin: Ireland can have no complaints as they could not take their chances when it matteredOpens in new window ]
That’s all from me for tonight. Shame the result wasn’t better! Good night.
Eileen Gleeson on RTÉ: “It’s devastating. I think the overall game, we dominated, 17 shots to 6. We had chances in the first half we should have done better with it.
“We were trying to keep our composure on the pitch, there was a lot of provocation from the Welsh coaching staff. We came off at half-time regretting the chances we missed.
“We had 17 shots, I don’t care what Rhian has to say [regarding the Wales manager’s previous comments].
“It’s a blow but we have to go again. Get ready for the next World Cup. We have to build again and go again.”
Some post-match discussion on RTÉ including Irish Times columnist Karen Duggan:
Ruesha Littlejohn on RTÉ: “Feel shocked. If you don’t score in these games you get punished.” On the VAR decision “It’s a tough one for us to take. I don’t know how you’re supposed to jump these days.”
Tony O’Donoghue: Are the Megan bombs in to the area good enough, aren’t we better than that?
Ruesha: “If I’m being honest, we really need to go in to the grassroots here, we need to change our game, change our style. When you look at the best teams, they’re all so comfortable on the ball, they want the ball, they want to play. That’s the journey we’re on now, I think it’s going to start with the young ones coming through, everybody has to get better on the ball. Yes, we can be hard, we can be resilient, we put our bodies on the line, we’ve got Megan’s throw, we’ve got big girls who come in with headers, but we need more if we want to consistently go to these tournaments. We need more.”
90+7 mins: One more Campbell throw for the road. but doesn’t lead to anything. They will be gutted to lose this.
Ireland 1 Wales 2
Full-time Ireland 1 Wales 2
Tough, tough defeat. Heartbreaking. They did more than enough on the night, but couldn’t take their chances. Small moments like the VAR decision for the handball cost them.
Here is what proved to be the winning goal:
90+4 mins: Exciting finish at the Aviva, eight minutes stoppage time!
Another chance for Ireland, long ball flicked on by O’Sullivan and Roberts saves the day with heroic block. Then Ireland go again and Wales hang on again, O’Sullivan’s save blocked.
Ireland 1 Wales 2
90 mins: Clark goes down with an injury, crowd boos as they feel she is time wasting. Long throw from Campbell, she is almost in the stand with how far she’s back… off the line! What a throw and somehow didn’t go in.
Ireland 1 Wales 2
89 mins: Aviva is rocking as Ireland fight for an equaliser. Larkin’s corner is mishit but Clark takes the ball out of play. Another corner. Just cleared by Wales.
Ireland 1 Wales 2
86 mins: GOAL FOR IRELAND! Anna Patten wins a header from a corner, was knocked off the line by Roberts but Patten scores the rebound! Game on.
Ireland 1 Wales 2
85 mins: On come Larkin and Atkinson for the last roll of the dice. Needs something to spark a life into the comeback and quickly.
Ireland 0 Wales 2
82 mins: Wales going for the corner already, frustration creeping in.
Ireland 0 Wales 2
78 mins: Not happening for Ireland, Kiernan trying to make things happen off the bench but has been careless, gets a yellow for a clumsy foul.
Ireland 0 Wales 2
72 mins: Shot by McCabe taken in anger goes wide. Russell, Littlejohn and Fahey off. Campbell, Connolly and Kiernan on
Ireland 0 Wales 2
68 mins: A potshot from Stapleton from outside the box but rising as she hits it. No subs yet by Gleeson. McCabe gets the ball on the edge of the box and falls down but no free-kick. Wales looking for a yellow for a dive.
Goal for Wales! Carrie Jones with a brilliantly taken shot into the corner. Ireland caught on the counter again after she won a one-on-one with Hayes after being smartly put in behind.
Ireland 0 Wales 2
65 mins: Jess Fishlock is off for Wales, a surprise by might be injured. Goalscorer Hannah Cain is also off. Morgan an Jones are on.
Ireland 0 Wales 1
60 mins: Ireland upping the tempo, Payne’s cross falls to O’Sullivan in the box who swivels and has her shot blocked. Now Wales break, three on two. James is through on goal and Brosnan saves strongly! Super save. Ireland disappointed not to have a possible handball checked for VAR. Yellow card for Rowe for heavy tackle on O’Sullivan.
Ireland 0 Wales 1
57 mins: Nearly another for Wales, brilliant run by Rachel Rowe, goes past a few players and puts a deep cross in Cain, who just missed contact with it.
Ireland 0 Wales 1
54 mins: Corner for Ireland and gets the crowd going. Littlejohn’s corner is right into the corridor of uncertainty and Clark just about punches it clear.
Ireland 0 Wales 1
50 mins: Goal for Wales! Hannah Cain strokes it in past Brosnan. Sucker punch.
Ireland 0 Wales 1
The second half is under way. An early VAR check for the referee…
Penalty for Wales! Very harsh, Patten’s arm was out and hit her elbow.
No stoppage time at all strangely, it’s half-time
Half-time: Ireland 0 Wales 0
Ireland the better team so far, just haven’t been able to get the goal to bring them ahead. McCabe better tread carefully as she just avoided a second yellow.
44 mins: James puts in a heavy tackle on McCabe, hard hit from near the sideline level with the box. Another dangerous free-kick. Littlejohn takes it but headed clear. Then a few moments later, Fahey takes on a long shot and hits it well but just wide. Would have been an unlikely hero.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
41 mins: Dangerous ball in by Patten and Carusa falls down looking for a penalty, looked like a pull of the arm. A second delivery by McCabe falls to Payne but can’t get much of a shot away.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
38 mins: Oh wow, McCabe a little lucky not to be sent off. Already on a yellow card, she slips and then almost swiped at the Wales player. Very last warning.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
35 mins: Another big save by Brosnan, as she sees the shot late from Roberts after pinball in the box from a corner. Another corner for Wales but over the top and out of play. Better spell from Wales there.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
33 mins: James takes that ball off Littlejohn in midfield, and Littlejohn fouls Cain then on the counter to stop the move, Wales free-kick from 30 yards out. Really well struck free-kick by Woodham with power and dip but Brosnan makes a good save.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
30 mins: Close by Ireland again! Carusa plays in Russell in the box from the left byline. Russell feints well then and has a fine shot towards the far post, but well saved by Clark.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
26 mins: Great spell by Ireland as the rain comes lashing down. Then McCabe goes for an effort from well out, a short corner, McCabe turns quickly and then hits it sweetly, just wide of the post.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
23 mins: Attacking free-kick into a dangerous area by McCabe, Patten gets a head on it with a clean header but well over the bar.
Then Denise O’Sullivan hits the bar! Brilliant effort from 25 yards, just inches away as it smashes the crossbar. Unlucky, would have been a wonder goal.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
21 mins: Stapleton picks out a superb pass to O’Sullivan outside the box who plays a deft pass into Russell who can’t control it but was almost a chance in the box.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
18 mins: Yellow card for McCabe, she had blocked down the ball and ran on, she thought it should have been a free, but Green ended up with the ball and McCabe took her down. Early to be on a booking.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
16 mins: Better spell for Wales, getting their foot on the ball and Fishlock nearly sneaks in behind and through on goal but it’s offside.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
13 mins: O’Sullivan sneaks in Russell and she puts in a dangerous cross for Carusa but Wales get it away.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
10 mins: Bad blow of heads between Stapleton and Payne after an aerial battle but Stapleton is back up again.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
6 mins: Another corner for Ireland, but a mix-up by McCabe and O’Sullivan. McCabe going strong into tackles as you would expect. Sharp counter from Ireland is rescued after a misplaced pass by Littlejohn. Patten and Fahey do well.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
2 mins: Early corner for Ireland after a smart kickoff but Littlejohn curls in straight to the keeper’s hands. Early penalty appeal to, Heather Payne bursting through but didn’t look like a penalty.
Ireland 0 Wales 0
The teams are out on the pitch and time for the national anthems. Kick-off shortly.
Eileen Glesson is looking for a big home crowd to give an advantage tonight. After the first leg:
“I don’t feel [the pressure] is on our shoulders, I feel like it is in our soul, this is our home,” said Gleeson.
“We love playing in the Aviva. We love the crowd. It is magical. You walk out, they sing. There is nothing like being at home in Ireland.
“For us, we are coming home. We are trying to inspire the nation and do the nation proud. That’s nothing but a boost. We are a passionate country. We have lot of pride in this team.”
[ Eileen Gleeson on facing Wales in Dublin: ‘The Aviva is in our soul, this is our home’Opens in new window ]
The teams are in! Stapleton starts over Agg this time.
Ireland: Brosnan (Everton); Payne (Everton), Patten (Aston Villa), Fahey (Liverpool), Hayes (Celtic), McCabe (Arsenal); O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage); Stapleton (Sunderland), Littlejohn (London City Lionesses); Russell (Galway United); Carusa (San Diego Wave).
Wales: Clark (FC Twente); Roberts (Real Betis), Ladd (Manchester United), Evans (Liverpool), Woodham (Crystal Palace); Green (Crystal Palace), James (Seattle Reign), Griffiths (Southampton), Cain (Sheffield United); Fishlock (Seattle Reign); Rowe (Southampton).
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza (Spain).
The Wales coach criticised Ireland’s “physical style of play” ahead of Euros showdown. Rhian Wilkinson said: “Ireland are a good team, they are physical, direct, they get runners around the ball. We stepped back and allowed them into the game. We tried to beat them at their style of play. I think Ireland has a clear style of play. They got wonderful athletes, good runners, some top players but I don’t see [them do] much different from what they are trying achieve.” Those comment despite Ireland having more possession and playing quite good football in the first half in Cardiff. Eileen Gleeson didn’t pass any remarks of them though.
[ Wales coach criticises Ireland’s ‘physical style of play’ ahead of Euros showdownOpens in new window ]
“As big as they come outside a major tournament. Ireland and Wales go into the second leg of this playoff to reach Euro 2025 level at 1-1. The smart money is on these evenly matched sides ending up in a penalty shoot-out before 10pm tonight.”
So says Gavin Cummiskey in his match preview. So prepare for a long night ahead! He writes:
“For Ireland, this is the most important moment since last year’s World Cup opener against Australia in Sydney when 75,784 watched their ultra-defensive approach almost squeeze a draw out of the hosts. Crucially, this is their third ‘all or nothing’ fixture since the 1-0 loss to Ukraine in Kiev saw them miss out of Euro 2022 in England. They flipped that scoreline at Hampden Park two years ago, thanks to Amber Barrett’s eternal finish, to nudge past Scotland and into the World Cup.”
[ Katie McCabe and Ireland fully focused on their qualification goal ahead of Wales matchOpens in new window ]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland’s Euro 2025 playoff second leg, against Wales at the Aviva Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.30pm. The first leg finished all square, a 1-1 draw, so it’s all to play for in what could be a tense night. Eileen Gleeson’s team are trying to become the first Irish women’s side to qualify for the European Championships and the first team male or female to qualify for back-to-back international tournaments since Jack Charlton’s Ireland between 1988 and 1990. It promises to be an interesting game, the line-ups will follow when they’re available but for now, here’s the squad.
Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (London City Lionesses), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic)
Defenders: Jessie Stapleton (Sunderland, on loan from West Ham United), Diane Caldwell (FC Zurich), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Megan Campbell (London City Lionesses)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Carolina), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Lily Agg (Birmingham City), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Ruesha Littlejohn (London City Lionesses), Heather Payne (Everton), Marissa Sheva (Portland Thorns), Izzy Atkinson (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Julie-Ann Russell (Galway United).