Carla Ward said Ireland’s late defeat to Netherlands was ‘sickening’, promising the benefits will be seen in the remainder of the campaign. Zero points from this opening double-header of the World Cup campaign doesn’t tell the full story as Ireland had their moments to eke out a draw in each. “It’s tough to take - sickening really,” said Ward after Lineth Beerensteyn’s winning goal eight minutes from full-time in Utrecht. “The players executed the gameplan and I thought about us winning the game after we equalised. “We should take massive pride from these two displays and push on to the next level,” added Newcastle United forward Murphy.

Source: Irish Examiner March 07, 2026 22:56 UTC