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Ruesha Littlejohn called for a major investment in grassroots football
Defeat at the Aviva Stadium denied Eileen Gleeson’s side a spot at back-to-back major competitions, having made their World Cup debut last year.
After Denise O’Sullivan hit the bar and Julie-Ann Russell drew a good save from Olivia Clarke, the visitors took the lead from a Hannah Cain penalty three minutes into the second-half.
Ireland pushed forward but went 2-0 down with 23 minutes to go when Carrie Jones took advantage of a Caitlin Hayes error.
The Girls in Green sent on Megan Campbell for her trademark long throw-ins but while Anna Patten halved the deficit late on, they were unable to find the equaliser.
Asked by RTE’s Tony O’Donoghue if the team should have been capable of better, Littlejohn insisted progress has to be made, starting at grassroots level.
She said: “If I’m being honest, in Irish football, we really need to go to grassroots here.
“We need to change our game, change our style, to compete with the best teams.
“They’re all so comfortable on the football. They want the football; they want to play — everyone in the team.
“That’s the journey we’re on now. It’s got to start with the young ones coming through. Get them on the football. Get to know it.
“Yes, we know we have heart, we can be resilient. We put our bodies on the line.
Ireland star Ruesha Littlejohn slams penalty decision in Euro 2025 play-off defeat to Wales
“We’ve got Megan’s throw, we’ve got big girls that can win headers. We need to do more if we are to consistently go to these tournaments.”
The 34-year-old held nothing back in her assessment of the penalty that set Ireland off track just three minutes into the second-half.
Following a VAR review, Anna Patten was adjudged to have handled the ball as she was going for a defensive clearance.
The decision to award the game-changing spotkick did not sit well with Littlejohn, who vented her frustration afterwards.
After rolling her eyes, the Scotland-born midfielder told RTE: “Honestly. It is not coming into your head at the start of the game. You are not thinking about those moments.
“You see it back and its…honestly it is dreadful. Patts has gone up to head the ball and it hits her arm.
“I don’t know how you jump these days. I don’t know if there is a new rule that you have to f***ing jump – excuse me, jump with your arms by your side.
“It is so hard to do when you are in the moment in the game. It was a tough one to take for us. We still had chances but just didn’t do enough tonight.”
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Publish date : 2024-12-04 04:59:00
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