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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 Kyra Carusa in action against Belgium's Zenia Mertens.Ryan Byrne/INPHO AnalysisAnalysis Three things Ireland got right in their Nations League playoff success Carla Ward’s side promoted to League A after downing Belgium. 7.01am, 30 Oct 2025 Share options WHEN CARLA WARD took charge in January, she immediately looked to implement possession-based football in a 4-3-3 system. Through the years, the focus had been on defensive solidity and being hard to beat, with managers generally deploying a back five. It was a shaky start: one needs little reminder of the shocking 4-0 defeat away to Slovenia in February. Ward experimented, grand plans backfired, and Ireland were torn to shreds. The former Aston Villa boss made some tweaks and looked to become “a Carla Ward team on the ball, with an Irish mentality off the ball”. She reverted to 5-3-2 for two friendly defeats to world champions USA in June, and soon settled on that system for Belgium. Chloe Mustaki’s impressive return factored into her thinking: she wanted to get Mustaki and Katie McCabe into the same team. The left side of defence was key as Ireland extinguished the Red Flames. Another left-footer, Mustaki released McCabe to run riot in the first leg at Aviva Stadium, where the tie was effectively won. Her deliveries from deep as Ireland went direct were also welcomed. Advertisement Newly-crowned centurion McCabe and Aoife Mannion were front-footed wing-backs; the pendulum swung over and back in the midfield battle; and Kyra Carusa and Emily Murphy ran themselves into the ground up top, leading an aggressive press. As Karen Duggan said on Off The Ball’s COYGIG Pod, “It boiled down to the fact that we played a system that suited the players we have. We finally acknowledged our limitations, played to our strengths, parked ego a little bit, and did what we needed to do.” Ward feels she has struck a balance. “These last two games have shown that we can play with the ball if we get the structure right off the ball. I think we found a structure that suits this team, probably this nation, in terms of the way that their whole heart is, and the way they want to be off the ball that suits the way I see the game with the ball.” Abbie Larkin takes the plaudits as the late goalscoring hero in Leuven: Ireland won the tie 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat on the night. Opportunity arose to stretch Belgium, and the 20-year-old injected much-needed pace from around the hour mark. She missed a couple of chances, and almost fluffed her lines when the golden one arose, but cooly dinked home at the death to win the playoff. Larkin had to bide her time as Ward opted for Saoirse Noonan in different circumstances on Friday, but she took her opportunity and, even aside from the goal, caused serious problems. It was the right substitution at the right time. The decision to hold Anna Patten in reserve as she returned from suspension — and deploy her in midfield — was also vindicated. Ward stuck with an unchanged XI to start, but Patten played a huge role in steadying the ship at half time. The Ireland XI.Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Marissa Sheva, reinvigorated under Ward’s watch, was a big winner in this window: she hit a stunner on Friday, and really stepped up in Tuesday’s second-half fightback. What more can be said of McCabe? One of her finest performances in green on her 99th cap laid the groundwork; she led supremely as Ireland finished the job. Mention of Denise O’Sullivan is never too far away: she mixed fire and ice in both games, emptying herself as she returns from a knee injury. Her absence from the 75th minute on Friday was notable, control lost around the middle as Belgium struck back. With Courtney Brosnan ruled out, goalkeeper was the standout selection decision, and Grace Moloney got the nod ahead of Sophie Whitehouse. She conceded four goals, with positioning in focus as she was lobbed twice; although excessive criticism for Tuesday’s may be unfair, with any communication (or lack thereof) between herself and Caitlin Hayes in the moments before the goal unclear. In all, 17 players featured across the double-header, with three subs made in each game. Heart and fight was evident across the board. 3. Reaction ‘Mentality’ and ‘mindset’ were words repeatedly coming out of the Irish camp across this playoff, and so it translated on the pitch. When Belgium equalised early in the second half on Friday, Ireland responded two minutes later with McCabe forcing an own goal. As their two-goal lead evaporated in seven first-half minutes on Tuesday, they didn’t crumble. Ward spoke of a calm, positive dressing room at half time and “mental and psyche sessions” in camp. Related Reads Letter from Leuven: Larko, family and fans on night to remember 'I would love England at Wembley': Why Ireland's win is a major boost for World Cup qualification “Us at a different time, that could have knocked us, and that could have really rattled us,” said Carusa of the seven-minute salvo. “I still think about a year ago, the (Euro 2025) qualification matches and and feeling like ‘Ah, it’s so daunting to come back from.’” Ireland weathered storms and rode waves throughout a rollercoaster playoff double-header, showing real grit and character. After going some way towards banishing the ghosts of Euro 2025 qualification failure — and evolving under Ward — the back-to-back World Cup dream now moves into full view, back in League A. Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Three things Ireland got right in their Nations League playoff success”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Three things Ireland got right in their Nations League playoff success”. 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. 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