France 4 - 0 Republic of Ireland

Eugénie Le Sommer scored two first-half goals as France unfortunately outclassed Republic of Ireland at the Roudourou Stadium in Guingamp on Saturday night in their penultimate UEFA Women’s Euro 2013 Group 4 Qualifier.

Though Ireland went into Saturday night’s encounter, one which was always going to be their toughest in the group, without scoring in either of their two previous matches after Denise O’Sullivan notched four minutes into their clash with Scotland at Tynecastle three games ago, the Leesider, scorer of four of Ireland’s six group goals, was an unused substitute in France.

Perhaps the fact Ireland could not qualify meant Sue Ronan viewed the match as an opportunity to see others in action but it was an unusual decision nonetheless, especially considering Ireland failed to orchestrate a single attempt at goal on Saturday night.

France, on the other hand, forced 19 corners to Ireland’s one and engineered 27 attempts, 15 of which were on target with four of those finding Emma Byrne’s net.

And it took France just eight minutes to score their first goal of the evening through Élodie Thomis, the attacker powering beyond the Arsenal stopper, to ease any pre-match French nerves given they required maximum points to guarantee automatic qualification to the finals in Sweden next July.

Le Sommer, an outstanding talent and one who tormented Ireland at Turner’s Cross in the corresponding group fixture last year also, added a second for Bruno Bini’s unit four minutes later.

To say it was all one-way traffic would be an understatement and it then became an exercise in damage limitation for the visitors against a side ranked second in Europe with creative influence Camile Abily particularly prominent in the opening half.

In saying that, Ireland’s defensive shield displayed a wonderful work ethic with Louise Quinn and Yvonne Tracy protecting a busy Byrne as best they could in difficult circumstances.

However, just as Ireland were seemingly stemming a relentless tide, Le Sommer struck again two minutes before the half-time whistle to put the result beyond any sort of doubt.

And yet France continued to pin Ireland in their own half for the majority of the second period too.

Ronan’s charges admirably put their bodies on the line time after time in their attempts to contain France but inevitably Bini’s ruthless team added a fourth when 80th minute substitute Julie Morel found the net with four minutes of regulation time remaining.

There were, of course, positives and Ronan showed her appreciation of the standard in the Bus Éireann FAI Women’s National League by obviously starting Quinn as well as giving Julie-Ann Russell and Sara Lawlor, also of Peamount United, invaluable game-time off the bench in the second half.

Furthermore, Peamount’s other striker in the squad, Stephanie Roche, was on the bench as well as Raheny United’s creative midfielder Rebecca Creagh.

These players, particularly the unused substitutes, should see time on the pitch next Wednesday evening away to Israel in Ireland’s final game in what has been a disappointing campaign overall.

France: Céline Devile, Wendie Renard, Laure Boulleau, Laura Georges, Sandrine Soubeyrand (capt), Corine Franco, Eugénie Le Sommer, Camile Abily, Élodie Thomis, Louisa Necib, Gaetane Thiney.
Subs: Marie-Laure Delie for Thomis (55), Camile Catala for Soubeyrand (66), Julie Morel for Abily (80).

Republic Of Ireland: Emma Byrne, Sophie Perry, Meabh De Burca, Louise Quinn, Yvonne Tracy, Niamh Fahey, Ciara Grant (capt), Diane Caldwell, Shannon Smyth, Fiona O’Sullivan, Áine O’Gorman.
Subs: Julie-Ann Russell for O’Gorman (46), Sara Lawlor for Smyth (83).

Referee: Mihaela Gurdon Basimamovic (Croatia).