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League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Ireland’s Marissa Sheva celebrates scoring.Ryan Byrne/INPHO FreeReaction 'It felt like it was one of the prettier goals I've scored' Marissa Sheva’s stunning effort helped Ireland overcome Belgium in Friday’s Nations League play-off first leg. 6.01am, 25 Oct 2025 Share options MARISSA SHEVA’S third goal at international level was one to remember. As Belgium struggled to clear their lines, the ball fell to the Sunderland player. Sheva’s first-time thunderbolt from the edge of the area left goalkeeper Nicky Evrard with no chance. It felt like a fitting conclusion to a frenetic spell in which Ireland scored three goals in the space of 12 second-half minutes. Advertisement So does Sheva, who won her 19th cap last night, feel she has ever scored a more spectacular goal? “Honestly, I haven’t seen it back yet,” she says. “So the only thing I have is just tucked away in my memory right now, but it felt like it was probably one of the prettier goals I’ve scored. “I’m not one of the strongest headers on the team, obviously, so I usually just sit outside the box on set pieces and look for the second balls. And it just happened to fall right to my feet.” Republic of Ireland 4-1 Belgium Turning into a wonderful night for Carla Ward's side as Marissa Sheva rattles home the fourth to the roof of the net 📺 Live coverage on @rte2 and @RTEplayer 📱Updates https://t.co/BTJ0s9rh7W pic.twitter.com/FE2dwMOaRD— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 24, 2025 The goal was the icing on the cake of a superb Irish display, as Carla Ward’s side overcame a team seven places above them in the latest Fifa rankings and who they had only defeated once in six previous attempts. However, the tie remains in the balance ahead of Tuesday’s second leg in Leuven as Marie Detruyer’s 82nd-minute effort gave the Red Flames hope. “It might as well be 0-0, going into that next game,” Sheva adds. “We need to put in the same performance that we did tonight away. “It would have been nice to go in with a three-goal cushion. But overall, happy with the performance, happy with how we implemented what we wanted to from training. So we’re going to take the positives as well. “I mean, we’ll see what the staff has to say, but I’m sure we’ll be just as aggressive as we were tonight [on Tuesday]. It’s worked well for us.” And does Sheva agree with the general perception that Friday’s emphatic win was the best performance of the Carla Ward era so far? “Yeah, I think so. I mean, honestly, just the energy in training, I think the cohesion that we feel as a group right now is really strong. And sometimes you don’t always know exactly what flipped the switch there. But yeah, we’re feeling good right now.” Paul Fennessy Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'It felt like it was one of the prettier goals I've scored'”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'It felt like it was one of the prettier goals I've scored'”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. 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Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Marissa Sheva Ireland Republic News in 60 seconds How Irish football learned to stop worrying and love set pieces 56 mins ago 'As soon as my agent told me Munster were in for me, it was a no-brainer' Loughmacrory 'It’s a dream come true' - The stunning rise of Tyrone's new senior football finalists Declan Bogue Irish Abroad Irish analyst Foy rising through the ranks in New Zealand FreeHurling 'I'd love to give it another rattle again' - Noel McGrath set on Tipp return in 2026 Declan Bogue Munster keen to make another statement as Connacht come to Thomond FreeReaction 'I grew up watching Robbie Keane scoring hat-tricks when it was Lansdowne Road' Reports from Aviva Stadium FreeAs it happened Ireland v Belgium, Nations League play-offs Leinster set to hand out five debuts against Zebre (including Dan Sheehan's younger brother) Connacht make nine changes for Munster clash Welsh rugby to axe one team as part of overhaul more from us Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. 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