Ireland squad announced for crucial qualifiers

Manager Sue Ronan has picked a mix of experience and youth for the crucial Euro 2013 qualifiers against Wales and Scotland later this month in Cork. 

Ciara Grant will make her 102nd cap, while goalkeeping stalwart Emma Byrne comes back into the squad after missing the recent friendly against Switzerland through injury. Cherelle Khassal of Wexford Youths, who made her first senior appearance in that friendly, is retained from the side which lost 1-0 in that friendly two weeks ago.

Peamount United duo Louise Quinn and Stephanie Roche, along with Megan Campbell of Raheny United, Denise O'Sullivan of Cork Women's FC and the aforementioned Khassal, make up the domestic-based contingent in the squad. Marie Curtin, who recently left Cork for Fortuna Alesund, is also included in the squad. 

Scotland are currently in pole position to get to the Euro 2013 playoffs, sitting a point ahead of Ireland in second. But Sue Ronan knows that results on June16th and 21st in Turner's Cross would put Ireland in a strong position.

"They're two huge matches and we need results in both of them," she said.

But Ronan knows that the task ahead is a daunting one: "The two teams we're playing are very good" she admitted. "We beat Wales away and lost to Scotland in  a very close game a couple of months back. We had a friendly against Switzerland a few weeks ago so we worked on a couple of things, looked at a few players." 

Cherelle Khassal was brought into the squad for the match against the Swiss and made her debut in the friendly. Her retention in the squad is a sure sign of how highly the Wexford Youths starlet is rated by the Ireland management after a storming WNL season.

"Cherelle was with me at the under 19 age group and she was one of our best players in that campaign two years ago" Ronan said. 

"Then she went overage and went off to the States so she was sort of off our radar for a while. But she came back and participated in the WNL with Wexford Youths and had a fantastic second half of the season. I saw her play and she really did impress so she deserved a call-up."

Last time Ireland played Scotland, they led the Scots until the 86th minute. Then, two goals in under a minute gave Scotland a freak victory and put them in an enviable position in the qualification table.

"The players were so disappointed with the manner of the loss," Ronan says of that match.

"But I think they need to realise that Scotland are a very good team. We led them for 85 minutes and looked comfortable defensively. It was only later in the game when we started sitting deeper and deeper that they started going at us. Scotland are ranked a few places above us and have made a few playoffs so it's no disgrace to lose to them. It was just the manner in which we lost that devastated us all."

But before the Scotland match on the 21st, Ireland must first face neighbours Wales, who themselves are just a win away from the playoffs.

"Wales are the first match and I think a lot of people are forgetting about Wales" Ronan said.

"I had to tell my own players that I didn't want to hear about Scotland until after we've played Wales. Wales are very much in this as well, any of the three teams could get it. They've improved massively under their new Finnish manager [Jarmo Maitikainen] and I'd have a lot of respect for them." 

With Ireland gripped by Euro 2012 fever, how does Ronan think the success of the men's side will affect the attendance in Turner's Cross?

"I think it'll have a knock-on effect. You look around and you see how everyone has the bunting and flags up outside the houses. While the Euros are on, everybody's thinking about football. While the men's team are out there doing well, I think that'll hopefully have a knock-on effect for us, she said."

"I think even aside from that we've gone down to Cork because anyone who's gone down there has been overwhelmed by the support. The last game we were down there, last September against France, was just tremendous and I've no doubt again that the people of Cork will come out and support us."

IRELAND SQUAD v Wales and Scotland:

Emma Byrne (Arsenal), Eve Badana (Drexel College), Grace Maloney (Reading), Yvonne Tracy (Arsenal), Louise Quinn (Peamount United), Megan Campbell (Raheny United), Sophie Perry (Chelsea), Diane Caldwell (Avaldsnes), Meabh De Burca (Amazon Grimstad FK), Niamh Fahey (Arsenal), Ciara Grant (Arsenal) Marie Curtin (Fortuna Ålesund), Ruesha Littlejohn (Liverpool), Julie Ann Russell (Doncaster Belles), Aine O’Gorman (Doncaster Belles), Michele O’Brien (Chicago Red Eleven), Denise O’Sullivan (Cork Women’s FC), Shannon Smyth (Amazon Grimstad FK), Cherelle Khassal (Wexford Youths), Stephanie Roche (Peamount United)