Katie McCabe celebrates after she scores Ireland’s 2nd goal of the match, a stunning volley from outside the penalty area. It gave the away side a 2-0 lead. [Inpho/Ryan Byrne]
April 15, 2026
by Irish Echo Staff
Carla Ward, manager of the Irish Women’s National team, was hopeful of a strong result coming out of Tuesday night’s World Cup qualifying game in Gdansk, Poland, that might encourage a big crowd at the Aviva Stadium, for the return game on Saturday. In the end, the Irish women got a 3-2 win.
Ireland lost their opening games against leading nations France and the Netherlands, and their quest is now a playoff path, and the more points garnered in the group stage the less chance of encountering top-ranked sides in the playoffs.
“Everyone’s been unbelievable in the impact they’re making in this team,” said star Katie McCabe, who scored the second goal. “So we just need to build off this performance again and work towards Saturday and we hope the fans can come out in numbers to support us in the Aviva.”