Wales 2-2 Northern Ireland: Wales denied victory after dramatic last minute equaliser
Wales midfielder Angharad James was named Player of the Match. (Image:
A goal with the last kick of the game from Ashley Hutton rescued Northern Ireland a dramatic point and left Wales to rue what might have been at Rodney Parade.
Jayne Ludlow’s side had gone behind early on, but managed to overturn the deficit and looked to have done enough to take all three points.
However, they failed to deal with a free-kick sent into the box and paid the price as Hutton headed past the perilous Laura O’Sullivan.
The visitors took the lead early on courtesy of Simone Magill, whose clever header was well directed into the bottom right corner, before the mercurial Angharad James – named Player of the Match – brought her side level.
Wales took the lead midway through the second half as Kayleigh Green showed determination to get to a squared ball into the box and nodded home.
Despite the result Wales move to the top of Group C, however they have played one game more than World Cup quarter-finalists and group favourites Norway.
For Northern Ireland, this draw earned themtheir first point of the campaign, having gone down 6-0 at home to Norway last week.
Kenny Shiels’ side had the first opportunity of the match, when Lauren Wade found herself in a one-on-one situation with O’Sullivan, who easily gathered a shot low down.
The visitors opened the scoring in the ninth minute after Simone Magill headed home from a corner, which the hosts failed to clear.
Conceding came as a wake-up call for Wales, as they crafted their first chance after quarter of an hour, courtesy of some neat build up play between Kayleigh Green and Natasha Harding.
Midfielder Rachel Furness forced O’Sullivan to make a save with a powerful shot from distance.
And soon after James equalised for the home side. Her shot was deflected off Emma Jones and wrong-footed Emma Higgins in the Northern Irish net.
At the beginning of the second half Northern Ireland nearly regained the lead.
A low, dangerous cross into the box from Wade found Magill, but the pressure from captain Sophie Ingle was enough to put her off.
Green then put Wales in front after she headed home a floating ball from Harding out on the right flank.
Hutton’s late leveller came as a major blow for Wales, who will have targeted nothing less than three points from this game and will look back and rue not being better organised at the set-piece.
Next up for Ludlow’s side is a trip to take on Belarus on Tuesday, October 8.
Wales: Laura O’Sullivan, Loren Dykes, Gemma Evans, Sophie Ingle (C), Rhiannon Roberts, Elise Hughes, Emma Jones (Megan Wynne 65’), Angharad James, Kayleigh Green, Natasha Harding, Hayley Ladd.
Northern Ireland: Emma Higgins, Rachel Newborough, Demi Vance, Sarah McFadden, Julie Nelsson, Ashley Hutton (C), Simone Magill, Rachel Furness, Lauren Wade, Freya Holdaway (Rebecca McKenna 56’), Megan Bell (Marissa Callaghan 60’).
(Featured image: Lewis Mitchell/YCPD)
