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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 Head coach Carla Ward of Ireland pictured after the game.Alamy Stock Photo 'That second-half performance, that's what it means to be Irish' Carla Ward expressed her delight after Ireland beat Belgium on aggregate. 11.00pm, 28 Oct 2025 Share options Reports from Den Dreef Stadium, Leuven THE MUSIC BLARED from the dressing room, and beers were claimed from the fridge as Ireland toasted a crucial Nations League playoff success. Carla Ward’s side beat Belgium 5-4 on aggregate, thanks to Abbie Larkin’s last-minute winner to secure League A status and guarantee a seeded playoff for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. “That’s what it means to be Irish, I think, that second-half performance,” said Carla Ward. “In the last 20 minutes, I felt something was coming. We were piling on the pressure; we probably created the better chances in the second half. When that goal went in, I probably ended up down the line somewhere! Delighted, delighted for everyone.” “Abbie just said to me, ‘I’ve never chipped a ball in my life’, and she’s come up with that one tonight,” she added on the 90th-minute winner. “Delighted for her, delighted for the team, delighted for Katie on her 100 caps, and she’s just told everyone it’s a free bar, so I’m going to have to deal with that now!” Ward claimed a few bottles of Stella Artois from the fridge in the press room, after reflecting on a first half which saw Tessa Wullaert’s seven-minute salvo level the tie. Advertisement “I went in at half-time, and we didn’t discuss the goals. We said we can’t feel sorry for ourselves; we’ve got 45 minutes ahead of us to win the game. We focused on what we need to potentially tweak and what we need to be front-footed again. It was a really positive, calm half-time and the reaction was brilliant.” The English coach hailed her substitutes, particularly Anna Patten, returning from suspension, who helped make the difference. “She’s a top footballer, we know that. I thought Ruesha did tremendously well in the first half; it just gave us a different dynamic, fresh legs.” Newly-crowned centurion Katie McCabe also offered her thoughts. “Over the two legs, we gifted them goals, and we need to understand how to tighten up in those areas. We knew they would come at us, but we were disappointed to concede those goals. They were dynamic in wide areas, and we made some adjustments at half-time, so I got front-footed. “Larko has been in and around us for a while. She is in great form with [Crystal] Palace, and she has matured. It gives me goosebumps thinking about that winner, big, big moments. We will need players like her looking for the World Cup [qualification].” The Arsenal Champions League winner labelled her caps milestone as “very proud and sacred”. “A long time coming,” she added. “Lost 1-0 on 50th here and glad to win on 100th. “We will enjoy the celebrations in the dressing-room and with the staff.” Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'That second-half performance, that's what it means to be Irish'”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'That second-half performance, that's what it means to be Irish'”. 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. 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