REPUBLIC of Ireland WU17 head coach Dave Connell has named his squad for the forthcoming UEFA WU17 Championships Qualifying Round Group 4 in Serbia next week and has included Lagan Harps Zoe McGlynn in his line-up.
The Irish will meet Lithuania, Romania and the hosts Serbia over the course of the tournament. The winners and runners-up of the groups go through along with the required number of third-placed teams with the best record against the first and second-placed teams, to ensure there are 24 sides in the next phase.
Ireland recently had two friendly games against Denmark in preparation for this campaign. They won the first game 1-0 then lost the second game 5-3.
“We have everybody back fit after a couple of players picked up knocks in the friendlies against Denmark and they all should be ok,” said Connell.
“Jamie Finn has returned after a stress factor and she had been close to the U19s so her experience will be a boost to the squad. Goalkeeper Amanda McQuillan is also fit again after a fractured thumb.”
Connell is hoping to make up for the disappointment of our U19 side failing to progress to the elite phase with the younger squad. He believes that this group of players can be an attacking threat.
“There’s potential to be a good attacking side here with this squad. In the previous squad we’ve been tight at the back and lacked fire power whereas this squad could be a little the other way around,” he said.
“We’ll work very hard once we come in to train together on making sure we’re not conceding goals as we do have a lot of players in the squad who can score goals.
“There’s nothing easy at this level and we saw that with the U19s last month. We were very disappointed to go out as we’d got off to a good start and it didn’t work out the way we wanted.
“Lithuania will be a venture into the unknown, we played Romania in the last campaign and they were tricky enough. Amanda made a few good saves that day.
“Serbia will be a big test in their own patch. We know from experience that it’s never easy there.”
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:
Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne)
Courtney Higgins (Shelbourne)
Dearbhaile Beirne (Shelbourne)
Jamie Finn (Shelbourne)
Nadine Ryan (Shelbourne)
Sophie Watters (Shelbourne)
Fiona Donnelly (Shelbourne)
Eleanor Ryan-Doyle (Peamount United)
Niamh Farrelly (Peamount United)
Lauryn O’Callaghan (Peamount United)
Lucy McCartan (Peamount United)
Danielle Murray (Peamount United)
Niamh Prior (St Joseph’s)
Evelyn Daly (Lakewood)
Saoirse Noonan (Douglas Hall)
Sarah McKevitt (Peake Villa)
Chloe Maloney (Connolly Celtic)
Zoe McGlynn (Lagan Harps)
FIXTURES
UEFA WU17 Championships Qualifying Round Group 4
Friday, October 17
Republic of Ireland v Lithuania, Gradski, Subotica (SRB)(3.00pm Irish)
Serbia v Romania, Backa, Subotica (SRB) (3.00pm Irish)
Sunday, October 19
Republic of Ireland v Romania, Backa, Subotica (SRB) (3.00pm Irish)
Lithuania v Serbia, Gradski, Subotica (SRB) (3.00pm Irish)
Wednesday, October 22
Romania v Lithuania, Gradski, Subotica (SRB) (3.00pm Irish)
Serbia v Republic of Ireland, Backa, Subotica (SRB) (3.00pm Irish)
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