Greencastle’s McGuinness scores in 11-0 ROI win over Latvia

The Republic of Ireland secured their place in the second round of the tournament with a game to spare.

The rout was completed in the 89th minute when Greencastle’s Gemma McGuinness, who had scored against Cyprus, got her second goal of the tournament and Ireland’s 11th.

Hat-tricks from Claire Shine and skipper Emma Hansberry as well two goals from Katie McCabe and one each from Carys Johnson and Orlagh Nolan helped Ireland to an emphatic 11-0 at the FK Srem Stadium in Jakovo.

Ireland will now play hosts Serbia for the top spot on Thursday after the Serbs defeated Cyprus 10-0 in the other Group 1 game. The Serbs, who have a goal difference of +25 to Ireland’s +14 need only a draw to win the group.

“Although we led 4-0 at half-time we were a bit disappointed but we certainly upped the performance in the second half and the 3-4-1-2 formation we used certainly worked. Claire Shine and Emma Hansberry definitely stood up to the plate today and delivered,” said Ireland manager Dave Connell.

“We’ve now qualified for the second phase but we want to go there as group winners. It won’t be easy against Serbia. They are a good team and are one of the up and coming countries in women’s football but we are in the position we wanted to be after two game and we’ll go away now and prepare for Thursday.”

Ireland manager Dave Connell made six changes from the side which beat Cyprus 3-0 on Saturday and was forced to start without senior international striker Denise O’Sullivan who picked up an ankle injury in that game.

However, by the end of today’s match he had managed to give all 18 members of his squad a taste of action over the first two games.

Connell’s biggest disappointment after the win over Cyprus was the number of chances his side missed but there was no doubt that they had their shooting boots on against the Latvians as they scored 11 times from 36 chances.

On an excellent pitch, and with the 19 degrees Celsius temperature a little lower than Saturday, the floodgates opened as early as the 10th minute when Cork Women’s FC attacker Claire Shine scored and she added another 11 minutes later before wrapping up her hat-trick in the second minute of added on time at the end of the first half.

Emma Hansberry, who took the captain’s armband in the absence of Denise O’Sullivan, had scored Ireland’s third on the half-hour and although Ireland went in 4-0 up at half-time it could have been more as Raheny United’s Katie McCabe missed a 34th minute penalty.

Hansberry got her second four minutes after the restart when she converted from the penalty spot just after Latvia’s Engele had been sent-off for picking up two yellow cards.

The goals just kept on coming after that as Everton’s Carys Johnson made it 6-0 and then Katie McCabe got two goals which were either side of an effort by Orlagh Nolan, her first at international level.

That left it 9-0 after 74 minutes and Hansberry notched her hat-trick in the 79th minute to take Ireland into double figures before McGuinness rounded off the scoring with a minute to go.

Republic of Ireland U19 Women’s Squad: Courtney Brosnan (PDA Slammers, USA); Shauna Newman (Raheny United), Grace Wright (Challenge FC, USA), Carys Johnson (Everton), Ciara O’Connell (Cork Women’s FC), Emma Hansberry (c) (Castlebar Celtic), Chloe Mustaki (Peamount United), Katie McCabe (Raheny United), Claire Shine (Cork Women’s FC), Gemma McGuinness (Greencastle FC), Orlagh Nolan (Shamrock Rovers). Subs: Rihanna Jarrett (Wexford Youths) for Newman (53), Sinead O’Farrelly (Raheny United) for Mustaki (61), Lauren Murphy (Cork Women’s FC) for O’Connell (70). Subs not used: Jillian Moloney (GSA 95 Phoenix Red, USA), Denise O’Sullivan (Cork Women’s FC), Kelly Halligan (Blackburn Rovers), Emily Cahill (Peamount United).

Latvia: Timošenko; Eldmane, Čižova, Uvarova (Ozoliņa 62), Sparāne, Eņģele, Beļavska (Kriviņkaja 84), Dinviete, Ņikiforova, Tīle (c), Sevastjanova. Subs not used: Dubova, Zaikovska, Pīrāga-Berezina, Miglāne, Judina.

Referee: Dimitrina Milkova (Bulgaria),