First half goals from Louise Quinn and Aine O’Gorman helped the Irish side come from behind at the Comendador Joaquim Almeida Fre Stadium in Moreira de Conegos after Portugal had opened the scoring against the run of play.

Ireland manager Sue Ronan made two changes to the side which lost to Finland last month with Ruesha Littlejohn and Karen Duggan coming in to replace Meabh De Burca and Diane Caldwell. Both went into midfield with Niamh Fahey going into the centre of defence and Sophie Perry switching from left back to right back to facilitate the move of Megan Campbell from the central defensive position she occupied against the Finns.

Portugal gave the noisy home crowd plenty to shout about in the opening minutes and Emma Byrne had to get down smartly to keep out a low drive by Portugese captain Claudio Neto. But then the Irish took control of the game and Karen Duggan twice went close with headers as Megan Campbell’s trademark long throw caused panic in the heart of the home defence.

The Irish were rocked on 16 minutes when Portugal scored from their first corner. The kick was played short to the supporting Sílvia Rebelo and her cross was headed beyond the reach of Emma Byrne and just inside the far post by Carole Costa.

That goal certainly got the home crowd going again but they were silenced six minutes later when Katie McCabe’s corner-kick from the left found Louise Quinn and she buried her header from six yards into the back of the net.

Ireland lost Karen Duggan after 33 minutes when the UCD Waves midfielder shipped a heavy knock and she was replaced by Diane Caldwell. Two minutes later Ireland carved out a great chance when Megan Campbell released Aine O’Gorman but Katie McCabe wasn’t able to connect with the pull-back.

However, in the 39th minute, it was Ruesha Littlejohn’s turn to carve open the home defence when she sent Katie McCabe clear. Her goalbound shot was brilliantly parried by Patricia Morais and Aine O’Gorman reacted quickest to the rebound to head home her eighth international goal and first in two years.

Ireland then lost a second member of the starting line-up when Megan Campbell took a blow to the head as she cleared a cross and after a lengthy delay she was stretchered off and taken to hospital. Stephanie Roche replaced Campbell and went up front with O’Gorman switching to right-back and Sophie Perry moving to left back.

The break didn’t seem to affect Ireland and just before the half-time whistle Julie Ann Russell had an excellent chance to virtually wrap things up but she shot wide with the goals at her mercy.

The second half saw Portugal enjoy the bulk of the possession but  they found it extremely difficult to break down a resolute Irish defence. There were a few heart-stopping moments like when Emma Byrne failed to hold an Ines Silva shot but Louise Quinn was on hand to clear. The Irish skipper also denied Ines Silva late on when she tipped her sizzling free-kick over the bar.

While Ireland didn’t create as many chances in the second half as they in the opening period they almost grabbed a third goal in the 52nd minute when Diane Caldwell left fly from 25 yards and Morais produced the save of the game with a spectacular leap to tip the ball over as it headed for the top corner.

A third goal would have made life a lot more comfortable for Ireland but they dug deep to keep Portugal at bay and take the three points their disciplined performance deserved. With Spain beating Finland 2-1in Helsinki the scene is now set for next month’s game against the Spanish in Tallaght Stadium.

Republic of Ireland: Emma Byrne (C); Sophie Perry, Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey, Megan Campbell (Stephanie Roche 45+5); Ruesha Littlejohn, Karen Duggan (Diane Caldwell 33), Denise O’Sullivan: Julie Ann Russell, Aine O’Gorman, Katie McCabe (Meabh De Burca 84).

Portugal: Morais; Fidalgo (Fernandes 82), Rebelo, Costa, I Silva; Malho (Pinto 71), D Silva; Borges, Neto, J Silva; C Mendes (Luis 71).  

Referee: Gyöngyi Gaál (Hungary)

The squad will be shortened ahead of assembling on November 9.

Speaking at today's press conference in FAI HQ, Ireland manager O'Neill said: "After finishing third in a difficult qualifying group, we enter into the Play-Offs against a very good team in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Our fate is in our own hands and we will be doing all that we can to qualify for next summer's finals.

"We will play the second leg at the Aviva Stadium and that is a big plus for us because the Irish supporters were fantastic in our last game there against Germany and we know that there will be a similar atmosphere for this Play-Off."

Premium Level tickets for the second leg game between Republic of Ireland and Bosnia & Herzegovina at Aviva Stadium on Monday, November 16 are still available through Ticketmaster.ie, while more General Admission tickets will be released on Monday, November 2 through Ticketmaster.ie at 11am

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND PROVISIONAL SQUAD

Name-Club-DOB-Caps-Goals

David Forde (Millwall)  20/12/1979  23  0
Shay Given (Stoke City)  20/04/1976  133  0
Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday)  23/10/1984  18  0
Darren Randolph (West Ham United)  12/05/1987  4  0
Rob Elliot (Newcastle United)  30/04/1986  3  0
Richard Keogh (Derby County)  11/08/1986  9  1
Marc Wilson (Stoke City)  17/08/1987  23  1
Seamus Coleman (Everton)  11/10/1988  30  0
Cyrus Christie (Derby County)  30/09/1992  3  1
John O'Shea (Sunderland)  30/04/1981  108  3
Alex Pearce (Derby County)  09/11/1988  6  2
Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers)  01/01/1992  1  0
Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa)  26/09/1989  15  1
Paul McShane (Reading)  06/01/1986  32  0
Stephen Ward (Burnley)  20/08/1985  30  2
Greg Cunningham (Preston North End)  31/01/1991  4  0
Robbie Brady (Norwich City)  14/01/1992  18  3
James McCarthy (Everton)  12/11/1990  31  0
Jeff Hendrick (Derby County)  31/01/1992  17  0
Darron Gibson (Everton)  25/10/1987  25  1
Harry Arter (Bournemouth)  28/12/1989  1  0
Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth)  10/07/1990  0  0
Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)  13/01/1984  68  2
Paul Green (Rotherham United)  10/04/1983  20  1
Aiden McGeady (Everton)  04/04/1986  78  5
James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)  22/04/1989  32  4
Alan Judge (Brentford)  11/11/1988  0  0
Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City)  06/06/1988  8  1
David Meyler (Hull City)  29/05/1989  14  0
Jonathan Walters (Stoke City)  20/09/1983  37  8
Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City)  20/05/1982  23  2
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)  08/07/1980  143  67
Shane Long (Southampton)  22/01/1987  58  14
Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town)  15/03/1983  17  0
Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids)  18/09/1983  61  14
Anthony Stokes (Celtic)  25/07/1988  8  0
David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town)  29/11/1987  2  0
Adam Rooney (Aberdeen)  21/04/1988  0  0
Simon Cox (Bristol City)  28/04/1987  30  4

The 28-year-old Brighton & Hove Albion player was one of the stars of a gritty performance that saw Ireland come from behind to win despite losing two players in the first half through injury. According to Perry the performance spoke volumes about the determination of the team to qualify for the European finals in the Netherlands.

“It was a tough battle but going out there we knew what we had to do,” said Perry. “We trained really, really hard this week and everyone had their sights set on getting the three points so we were absolutely delighted with the win. It  was a tough battle but we showed so much grit and determination to get those three points that we thoroughly deserved it.”

Perry felt that win was the perfect response to the defeat by Finland in the team’s opening qualifier at Tallaght Stadium last month.

“We were so disappointed after that game because we believed we should have got more out of it. We were on top of them for most of the game and the score didn’t reflect that. Coming away from that game everybody thought to themselves the next game is Portugal and we need to put it right and on reflection we certainly did that yesterday.”

There was a sense of deja vue when Portugal took the lead after Ireland had created two excellent early chances but Perry felt the manner in which the side came back was another example of the character that permeates this particular group.

“It is always a setback to go behind but it shows character and determination to come back from a goal down and win the game. We were composed, we stuck to our game plan and it just goes to show that this team has got great character and determination to do well in this competition.”

She added that Aine O’Gorman’s second goal showed that the side is also capable of playing good football as well as being potent from set-pieces like the one which yielded Louise Quinn’s opening goal.

“When you see Louise go up for corners you always know she is going to get something on it. The second goal was brilliant play and it just goes to show that we have been working really hard this week and we have been playing really good football. It was great play from Katie and to finish it off with a goal just goes to show that we have got quality throughout this team.”

Urged on by the noisy crowd in the 3,200 attendance, Portugal threw everything at an Irish team that had seen Karen Duggan and Megan Campbell go off with injuries before half-time but Perry said they were determined not to let the home side back into the game.

“We stayed tight, we stayed compact, we knew our roles and responsibilities and as a back four they weren’t going to break us down. To the 95th minute we were chucking in last ditch tackles and putting our necks on the line. We would have done it to the 98th minute if necessary.”

Next up for the side is Spain in Tallaght Stadium next month and with the Spanish opening their campaign with a 2-1 win away to group leaders Finland, the game represents another opportunity for the Irish to lay down an important marker according to Perry.

“This is a massive game for us because obviously Spain are top seeds. Beating Portugal has put us in a great position to take on Spain and show them what we can do. We played them before, we know what they can do and I feel we have a great opportunity to nick three points from them. We just need the support from the crowd. That’s always a bonus and that always spurs you on to get the win.”

The Play-Off will be contested between the team which finishes 11th in the Premier Division and the winner of the First Division Promotion Play-Off between Finn Harps and UCD.

Dates for Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Final
First Leg: Monday, November 2 - 11th-placed Premier Division team v Winner of 2nd v 3rd First Division Play-Off (Finn Harps/UCD)
Second Leg: Friday, November 6 - Winner of 2nd v 3rd First Division Play-Off (Finn Harps/UCD) v 11th-placed Premier Division team

In the event of the scores being level after the completion of the second leg match, then extra-time of 30 minutes duration shall be played. If the scores are still level, then a penalty shoot-out shall take place to determined the winners.

Please note that General Admission tickets for the Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup Final and the Continental FAI Women's Senior Cup Final at Aviva Stadium on Sunday, November 8 will go on sale on Thursday, October 29 at 10am through Ticketmaster.ie 

This will be the second FAI Cup Final that McKeon has been in charge of following the 2007 showpiece between Cork City and Longford Town at the RDS. He will again be looking after Cork as they take on Dundalk in this year's final.

The Dubliner, who has been officiating for 27 years, insists this showpiece event will be a career highlight and it acts as a reward for all of the hard work that he has put in since first becoming a referee as a teenager.

“It’s a massive day and it will definitely be the highlight of my career. I’m very lucky to have been deemed good enough to referee in one FAI Cup Final, but a second one at the Aviva Stadium is special,” said McKeon.

Having started out taking control of games in the Dublin Schoolboys League, McKeon progressed onto the Leinster Senior League before making the jump to the SSE Airtricity League when he was just 22 years old.

It has been a whirlwind experience since then with many high points, including handling the FAI Junior Cup Final in 1995 and serving on the FIFA refereeing panel between 2004-2012.

“It has been a great journey. I’ve been to some of the best stadiums around the world and been involved in so many big games,” said McKeon, who works in I.T. and runs his own business.

In spite of the enormity of the occasion, McKeon insists he will treat today just like it was any other match-day and stick to a familiar routine. And Paula Brady will adopt a similar approach.

Appointed as the referee for the Continental FAI Women’s Senior Cup Final, Brady knows exactly what McKeon will be going through ahead of kick-off but experience means she will be fully prepared.

The FIFA international referee is no stranger to taking charge of the big games in women’s football, although she admits that today is different considering this is a Cup final in the national stadium.

“It’s a big day out for the players, their families and friends, the supporters, the clubs, and for us too. You work hard all year to get to this stage and it’s very significant,” said Brady.

It is almost a decade since Brady first became a referee but she remains as committed as ever and is delighted to be part of this big day.

Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup Final
Referee: David McKeon
Assistant Referee: Dermot Broughton
Assistant Referee: Mark Gavin
4th Official: Robert Rogers

Continental FAI Women’s Senior Cup Final
Referee: Paula Brady
Assistant Referee: Michelle O’Neill
Assistant Referee: Natasha Valentini
4th Official: Deirdre Nolan

The Irish are joint top of the group with nine points from their opening four games. Italy, Serbia and Slovenia also have nine points each.

"We are totally focused on Lithuania. We had a very good performance against them in Waterford earlier this month and we are looking for a similar performance and a similar result in Vilnius," said King.

"This is a hugely important game for us. We want to stay in the hunt for qualification and 12 points from the first 15 available would be a super start. This particular Irish team has a clear focus on what they want, they are together and determined to achieve it. 

“The dressing room was full of disappointment after the 1-0 defeat in Italy. This stemmed from the fact that they had competed at a very high level and deserved something from the game. The only thing missing was goals. The team competed very well and limited them to just one shot on target while creating several chances ourselves. 

“The players have set a high standard that they want to maintain it. The next test is winning in Lithuania. 

"Unusually, there has not been many changes to the squad over the first four games. This consistency, together with winning, has helped to build a momentum, develop an understanding and build a strong team morale – all of which can be vital to success. 

Using the same squad, the u21's will travel home to play a friendly game against Norway on November 17 in the RSC, Waterford (7.45pm).

King added: "Norway always prove an attraction and are a very difficult opponent, but at this moment the only focus is Lithuania. All our concentration and effort will go into trying to beat them in Vilnius and come back to the RSC with 12 out of 15 points. It’s a difficult task, but one this team are determined to succeed in.”

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21 SQUAD:

Daniel Rogers (Aberdeen - on loan at Falkirk)
Eric Grimes (Leeds United)
Sean Long (Reading - on loan at Luton Town)
Jack Connors (Dagenham & Redbridge)
Glen Rea (Brighton & Hove Albion - on loan at Southend United)
Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers)
Alan Browne (Preston North End)
Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United)
Josh Cullen (West Ham United)
Conor Wilkinson (Bolton Wanderers - on loan at Barnsley)
Jack Byrne (Manchester City - on loan at Cambuur)
Sean Kavanagh (Fulham)
Reece Grego-Cox (QPR)
Dylan Connolly (Ipswich Town)
Shane Griffin (Reading)
Henry Charsley (Everton)
Sean Hoare (St Patrick's Athletic)
Sean Maguire (Dundalk)
Lee Desmond (St Patrick's Athletic)
Kenneth McEvoy (Tottenham Hotspur)
Sam Byrne (Everton) 

FIXTURES

Friday, November 13

UEFA U21 Championships Qualifying Round Group 2
Lithuania v Republic of Ireland, LFF Stadionas, Vilnius (KO 4.30pm Irish Time)

Tuesday, November 17

U21 International Friendly
Republic of Ireland v Norway, RSC, Waterford (KO 7.45pm)

Reigning champions Wexford Youths WFC play host to Peamount United, Shelbourne Ladies FC entertain Kilkenny United WFC, and Galway WFC go up against Castlebar Celtic on Saturday evening.

On Sunday afternoon, Cork City WFC will take on UCD Waves to complete the weekend's action as the new season begins to gather momentum.

Both Wexford and Shelbourne will have started their preparations for next weekend's Continental FAI Women's Senior Cup Final at Aviva Stadium, but this round of League games will not be taken lightly by either.

"I've told the girls that we're not talking about the Aviva Stadium. I'm refusing to mention it, Kilkenny is the focus until Sunday morning," said Shelbourne manager Casey McQuillan.

It is a sentiment shared by Wexford boss Will Doyle who refuses to discount the challenge of Peamount despite recently beating them because he knows just how dangerous they can be.

"I have an awful lot of respect for them [Peamount]. We have a few players with niggles so it's about getting the balance right with the Cup final looming. The three points is very important," said Doyle.

Peamount and Kilkenny, who travel to take on Wexford and Shelbourne respectively, have made some notable strides since the beginning of the season, while Galway continue to impress and they know that they face a tough test against Castlebar.

It will another competitive affair between Cork City and UCD as Niall O'Regan's side will be able to call on Saoirse Noonan and Tiegan Ruddy who both recently helped the Republic of Ireland Women's Under 17s top their UEFA European Championship qualifying group.

Click on the links below for full match previews:

Saturday, October 31
Galway WFC v Castlebar Celtic
Shelbourne Ladies FC v Kilkenny United WFC
Wexford Youths WFC v Peamount United

Sunday, November 1
Cork City WFC v UCD Waves

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31

 
Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Shelbourne v Kilkenny United, Morton Stadium, 19:00.

Galway v Castlebar Celtic, Eamonn Deacy Park, 19:30.

Wexford Youths v Peamount United, Ferrycarrig Park, 19:30.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 1

Cork City v Limerick, Bishopstown Stadium, 14:00.

UCD v Bray Wanderers, AUL Complex, 14:00.

Wexford Youths v Cobh Ramblers, Ferrycarrig Park, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 2

Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick’s Athletic, Tallaght   Stadium, 12:00.

Bohemians v Athlone Town, Dalymount Park, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 1

Waterford United v Cabinteely, RSC, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 2

Athlone Town v Salthill Devon, Athlone Town Stadium, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 3

Dundalk v Derry City, Oriel Park, 14:00.

Finn Harps v Bohemians, Finn Park, 14:00.

Shelbourne v Monaghan Cavan FP, AUL Complex, 14:00.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Cork City v UCD Waves, Bishopstown Stadium, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 2

Galway United v Longford Town, Fahy’s Field, Mervue, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 3

Drogheda United v Letterkenny Rovers, United Park, 14:00

Finn Harps v Derry City,   Finn Park, 14:00.

Sligo Rovers v Dundalk, The Showgrounds, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 1

Cobh Ramblers v Wexford Youths, St Colman’s Park, 14:00

Limerick v Cork City, Jackman Park, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 2

Longford Town  v Sligo Rovers, City Calling Stadium, 14:00.

St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers, ALSAA, 14:00.

International U16 Victory Shield Tournament

Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland, Newport Stadium, 14:00.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2

SSE Airtricity League Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Final First Leg

Limerick v Finn Harps, Markets Field, 19:45

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3

International U16 Victory Shield Tournament

Wales v Republic of Ireland, Dragon Park, Newport, 16:00.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 1

Bray Wanderers v UCD, Carlisle Grounds, 19:30.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5

International U16 Victory Shield Tournament

Scotland v Republic of Ireland, Newport Stadium, 12:00.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6

SSE Airtricity League Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Final First Leg

Finn Harps v Limerick, Finn Park, 19:45

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 1

Cobh Ramblers v UCD, St Colman’s Park, 14:00.

Limerick v Bray Wanderers, Hogan Park, 14:00.

Waterford United v Wexford Youths, RSC, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 2

St Patrick Athletic v Shelbourne, ALSAA, 12:00.

Longford Town v Shamrock Rovers, City Calling Stadium, 13:00.

Athlone Town v Galway United, Athlone Town Stadium, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 3

Derry City v Drogheda United, Brandywell Stadium, 14:00.

Dundalk v Finn Harps, Oriel Park, 14:00.

Letterkenny Rovers v Sligo Rovers, Leckview Park, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 1

Bray Wanderers v Limerick, Carlisle Grounds, 14:00.

UCD v Cobh Ramblers, Belfield Park, 14:00.

Wexford Youths v Waterford United, Ferrycarrig  Park, 14:00.

Cabinteely v Cork City, Stradbrook, 16:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 2

Mervue United v St Patrick’s Athletic, Fahy's Field, 14:00.

Shamrock Rovers v Longford Town, Tallaght Stadium, 14:00.

Sligo Rovers v Athlone Town, The Showgrounds, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 3

Drogheda United v Shelbourne, United Park, 14:00.

Monaghan-Cavan FP v Finn Harps, Gortakeegan, 14:00

Bohemians v Dundalk, Oscar Traynor Centre, 15:00.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8

Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup Final

Cork City v Dundalk, Aviva Stadium, 15:30 (Live on RTÉ2)

Continental Tyres FAI Women’s Senior Cup Final

Shelbourne v Wexford Youths, Aviva Stadium, 12:20 (Live on RTE 2)

New Irish U16 Head Coach Paul Osam is looking forward to taking charge of the side for the first time and has enjoyed the preparation work put into the process ahead of the four-team tournament.

“Everything has gone well so far. We got the players together on Thursday and trained then we had a session on Friday also. We’ve had several meetings with the players going through the objectives for the group for the week and we’re looking forward to the first game tomorrow," he said.

“We will be looking for a good performance. We’ll be looking to see if the players have taken on board what we’re looking to do offensively and defensively. Every game that you play you’d like to win but win, lose or draw we will analyse it afterwards and look at the areas we can improve upon."

Osam has been impressed by the technical level of the players available to him but he also wants to see the other attributes that the players possess come to the fore this week.

“Every single player we have here is technically comfortable which is hugely important if you want to play through the thirds and play constructive football in the right manner," he added.

"I was pleasantly surprised with the technical level of basically all the players but the game is more than about technique, you have to marry that with endeavour and concentration and the ability to carry out the tasks that are required of them in the game.”

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U16 SQUAD:

Aaron Bolger (St Joseph's Boys)

Aaron Connolly (Mervue Utd)

Aaron McColgan (Derry City)

Alex Kelly (Belvedere)

Brian Maher (St Kevin's Boys)

Cian Hughes (St Francis)

Cian Lee (Belvedere)

Darryl Walsh (Waterford United)

Dominic Peppard (St Joseph's Boys)

James Jennings (St Francis)

Jonathan Afolabi (St Joseph's Boys)

Jordan Doherty (Sheffield Utd)

Kevin Healy (Belvedere)

Lee O'Connor (Villa FC)

Lorcan Callaghan (Sligo Rovers)

Luke Nolan (St Patrick's Athletic)

Luke O'Brien (Crumlin Utd)

Marcus Rowley (Malaga CF)

Niklas Baylor (Vfl Wolfsburg)

Thomas Caffrey (St Francis)

FIXTURES

Sunday, November 1

Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland, Newport Stadium (2.00pm)

Tuesday, November 3

Wales v Republic of Ireland, Dragon Park, Newport (4.00pm)

Thursday, November 5

Scotland v Republic of Ireland, Newport Stadium (12.00 noon)

Will Doyle's team took a three-goal lead into half-time on Saturday night in Ferrycarrig Park courtesy of a Claire O’Riordan double and a Kylie Murphy strike.

Wexford put the tie beyond Peamount early in the second half with Emma Hansberry’s strike and O’Riordan competing her hat-trick.

Rianna Jarrett celebrated her first appearance off the bench in almost two years with two goals before Carol Breen rounded off the scoring for the champions.

Shelbourne Ladies were also victorious as they secured a 9-0 victory over Kilkenny United WFC, who made their first WNL trip to Dublin.

Jamie Finn opened the scoring for the Red Pandas with Fiona Donnelly finding the net either side of a Sarah Rowe double to give Shels a 4-0 half-time lead.

A Noelle Murray double along put them further ahead while substitute Sinead Taylor, Avril Beirley and Courtney Higgins also scored for Casey McQuillan side.

Shelbourne will meet Wexford on Sunday, November 8 in the Continental FAI Women's Senior Cup Final at Aviva Stadium in what promises to be a thoroughly entertaining affair.

Elsewhere in the WNL, Galway WFC continued their 100 per cent start to the season with a 5-0 victory over Castlebar Celtic in the Connacht derby on Saturday.

It took until the 48th minute for the deadlock to be broken by Aisling Meaney, who then doubled the lead for Don O'Riordan's side 10 minutes later.

Savannah McCarthy put tie beyond Castlebar before Lynsey McKey found the net twice - the second of which was a last-minute penalty - to see Galway move onto six points.

On Sunday afternoon, UCD Waves collected their first League win of the season with an impressive 5-1 triumph away to Cork City WFC at Bishopstown Stadium.

Julie-Ann Russell opened the scoring for UCD and striker Eleanor Ryan Doyle made it 2-0 when her shot took a deflection off Ciara McNamara and looped into the net.

Aine O’Gorman scored either side of half-time for the visitors before Ciara Desmond pulled one back for Cork, but Emily Cahill headed home the fifth goal for UCD.

Continental Tyres Women's National League Results
Cork City WFC 1-5 UCD Waves
Galway WFC 5-0 Castlebar Celtic
Shelbourne Ladies FC 9-0 Kilkenny United WFC
Wexford Youths WFC 8-0 Peamount United

It was new Head Coach Paul Osam's first game with the Irish side and he was pleased with the overall performance.

James Jennings came closest to scoring the winner with an effort that struck the woodwork while Lee O'Connor was a constant threat to the Northern Ireland defence.

Kevin Healy had a chance to find the net early on but could not find the target. Irish keeper Brian Maher had his first save of note on the half hour to deny Northern Ireland a breakaway goal.

Ten minutes into the second half Jennings saw his powerful strike rattle an upright and unfortunately bounce back into the keeper's arms.

Aaron Connolly was a constant thorn in the side of the Northern Ireland defence in the final 20 minutes and was unlucky not to score on a number of occasions while he also had a penalty claim dismissed.

"As a first game with the group I can only be pleased with how we played. We produced some excellent passages of play and created several chances. On another day we could have won 3-0 but it wasn't to be," said Osam.

"Some of our build up play was very good. I was pleased that we created several chances which is hardest part of the game. We hit the post once and although our finishing overall could have been better we were very creative in our play.

"Defensively we limited the opposition to one real chance, which was also pleasing. Overall there is still a huge amount we have to work on with the players and I am really happy with the performance. I told the players that we wouldn't have been as happy if we'd won without playing as well.

"At the risk of resorting to clichés it is about development at this level so together with the staff we'll look at the positives and negatives from this one then look forward to the next two games."

Ireland will face hosts Wales on Tuesday and then meet Scotland on Thursday.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Brian Maher, Luke Nolan, Aaron Bolger, Aaron Connolly, Aaron McColgan, Dominic Peppard, James Jennings, Jordan Doherty, Kevin Healy, Lee O'Connor, Luke Nolan, Marcus Rowley. Subs: Thomas Caffrey for McColgan 55 mins; Cian Hughes for Rowley 60; Cian Lee for Nolan 70.

RESULTS & FIXTURES

Sunday, November 1

Northern Ireland 0-0 Republic of Ireland, Newport Stadium

Tuesday, November 3

Wales v Republic of Ireland, Dragon Park, Newport (4.00pm)

Thursday, November 5

Scotland v Republic of Ireland, Newport Stadium (12.00 noon)

Top Performer
Rob Elliot (Newcastle United)
Just a second clean sheet for The Magpies this season was secured largely thanks to Elliot as he helped to keep Stoke City at bay in a scoreless draw. The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper has stepped in for the injured Tim Krul and gotten better with each game – as evidenced at St James’ Park last Saturday.

Watch Out For
Anthony Breslin (Wolves)
A pupil of the St Kevin’s Boys academy, Breslin is very much a rising star at underage level as Wolves rate him very highly and he is also part of Paul Doolin’s set-up with the Ireland Under 19’s. The left-sided player covers a huge amount of ground and never goes missing when the going gets tough.

Irish Manager Monitor
In the Championship, Lee Carsley’s Brentford collected their fourth straight win as they overcame QPR 1-0, while Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion picked up a point away to Reading following a 1-1 draw and Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town were scoreless at home to Cardiff City.

In League Two, John Sheridan’s Newport County fought back from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw with Northampton Town to move onto 13 points and a little further away from the drop zone.

Further Afield
In the Dutch Eredivisie, Jack Byrne came off the bench for Cambuur as they lost 2-0 away to Heerenveen. Meanwhile in the Indian Super League, Darren O’Dea started for Mumbai City as they lost 4-1 to Atletico De Kolkata.

Weekend Stats

Premier League
9 appearances– Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy (Everton), Rob Elliot (Newcastle United), Robbie Brady (Norwich City), Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)
6 un-used substitutes– Darron Gibson (Everton), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Stephen Ireland, Marc Wilson (Stoke City), Joey O’Brien, Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
1 clean sheet– Rob Elliot (Newcastle United)

Championship
24 appearances– Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City), Alan Judge, Alan McCormack (Brentford), Simon Cox, Derrick Williams (Bristol City), Joe Mason, Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City), Stephen Henderson (Charlton Athletic), Cyrus Christie, Jeff Hendrick, Richard Keogh (Derby County), David Meyler (Hull City), David McGoldrick, Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town), Samir Carruthers, Darren Potter (MK Dons), Alan Browne, Greg Cunningham, Eoin Doyle (Preston North End), Paul McShane (Reading), Paul Green, Aidan White (Rotherham United), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Matt Doherty (Wolves)
1 goalscorer– Richard Keogh (Derby County)
4 un-used substitutes– Jack Bonham (Brentford), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Joe Murphy (Huddersfield Town), Jonathan Douglas (Ipswich Town)
3 yellow cards– Alan McCormack (Brentford), David Meyler (Hull City), Darren Potter (MK Dons)
1 clean sheet– Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday)

League One
25 appearances– Conor Wilkinson (Barnsley), Colin Doyle (Blackpool), Billy Clarke (Bradford City), Anthony O’Connor (Burton Albion), Jay O’Shea (Chesterfield), Owen Garvan (Colchester United), Paul Keegan (Doncaster Rovers), John Egan, Bradley Garmston (Gillingham), Aiden O’Brien, Shaun Williams (Millwall), Mark Yeates (Oldham Athletic), Chris Forrester (Peterborough United), Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United), Conor Sammon (Sheffield United), James Collins, Liam Lawrence (Shrewsbury Town), Cian Bolger, Gary Deegan, Stephen McLaughlin, Dave Mooney, Glen Rea, Michael Timlin (Southend United), Anton Rodgers (Swindon Town), Chris McCann (Wigan Athletic)
1 goalscorer– Dave Mooney (Southend United)
6 un-used substitutes– Emmanuel Osadebe (Gillingham), David Forde (Millwall), Sam Foley (Port Vale), Donal McDermott (Rochdale), Liam McAlinden (Shrewsbury Town), Anthony Forde (Walsall)
3 yellow cards– Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United), Michael Timlin (Southend United), Chris McCann (Wigan Athletic)

League Two
27 appearances– Seamus Conneely (Accrington Stanley), Barry Corr, Rory Gaffney (Cambridge United), Gary Dicker (Carlisle United), Shamir Fenelon, Rhys Murphy (Crawley Town), Jack Connors (Dag & Red), Clinton Morrison (Exeter City), Jake Carroll (Hartlepool United), Sean Long (Luton Town), Jamie Devitt, Barry Roche (Morecambe), Mark Byrne (Newport County), John-Joe O’Toole (Northampton Town), Graham Burke, Alan Sheehan (Notts County), Pat Hoban, Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United), Graham Carey, Carl McHugh (Plymouth Argyle), Michael Doyle, Brian Murphy, Enda Stevens (Portsmouth), Michael Harriman (Wycombe Wanderers), James Berrett, Michael Collins, Eddie Nolan (York City)
4 goalscorers– Barry Corr (Cambridge United), Graham Burke, Alan Sheehan (Notts County), Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle)
4 un-used substitutes– Kane Ferdinand (Dag & Red), Alan Dunne (Leyton Orient), Brendan Moloney (Northampton Town), Ryan Sweeney (AFC Wimbledon)
6 yellow cards – Seamus Conneely (Accrington Stanley), Gary Dicker (Carlisle United), Jack Connors (Dag & Red), Jake Carroll (Hartlepool United), Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle), Eddie Nolan (York City)

Scottish Premiership
5 appearances– Jonny Hayes, Adam Rooney (Aberdeen), Sean Dillon (Dundee United), Graham Cummins, Joe Shaughnessy (St Johnstone)
2 goalscorers– Adam Rooney (Aberdeen), Graham Cummins [2] (St Johnstone)
1 un-used substitute– Willo Flood (Aberdeen)
1 yellow card– Sean Dillon (Dundee United)

Compiled by GARETH MAHER

General admission tickets for the home leg at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, on November 16, have sold out. There are a limited number of Premium level seats available.

The FAI today confirmed that there were 1,175 applictions from Irish fans for the away match, which will be played at the Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica, which has a match capacity of 11,500 for this Playoff tie.

The Association, had applied for 10pc of the overall ticket allocation. It has now received 630 General Admission tickets and 50 Category One purchases. There are an additional 200 Complimentary tickets (as per UEFA competition regulations and agreements between both associations).

Any return tickets will be offered to Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporter Clubs and Fans' Direct.

The process of contacting all applicants commenced today and tickets will be distributed under the Away Ticketing Scheme, which is currently being piloted for this game, and included the Gibraltar and Poland matches – which were both undersubscribed.

Under the scheme tickets are being distributed as follows:

55 per cent will be distributed to supporters from affiliated football Leagues and more than 2,000 clubs which fall under their remit, Board and National Council members, players/staff, Club Ireland members, and Jack Charlton Lounge patrons.

30 per cent will be allocated to independent supporters who are members of Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporter Clubs and Fans' Direct.

15 per cent will be provided to supporters travelling with the FAI's official travel partner, Abbey Travel (these supporters have their details of match attendance at away games logged should they ever decide to apply independently for tickets).

Allocations to independent supporters registered with Fans' Direct are made on a points based system. This system collates data from Autumn 2012 (the start of 2014 World Cup qualification) and supporters have been awarded points on an individual basis as follows:

70 points for a Season Ticket purchased for each season from the 2012/13 season. 20 points for each away match attended since September 2012 and 10 points for each single home match attended since the 2012/13 season (if not a Season Ticket holder).

Allocations to Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporter Clubs will be based on the numbers of season tickets held by each club and divided accordingly among Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporter Clubs.

Within the 30 per cent of away tickets allocated to Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporter Clubs and Fans' Direct, away tickets will be split on a pro-rata basis based on season tickets held by Supporters' Clubs and the number of members registered with Fans' Direct. 

The FAI had 9,800 tickets allocated for the game against Gibraltar in Faro, Portugal, with 2,516 sales, and 3,800 tickets for the match against Poland in Warsaw, with 2,405 seats sold.

The Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed to the FAI today that it wishes to take up the full 5pc allocation of 2,500 tickets for the second leg tie at the Aviva Stadium.

This will be livestreamed from 12.45pm tomorrow and the draw will be available from the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joArUfueyBM&feature=youtu.be

Holders Crumlin United are still in contention having beaten Drumcondra in the second round while last season's finalists Tolka Rovers were knocked out by Portmarnock AFC.

FAI Junior Cup holders Liffey Wanderers were knocked out by Bangor Celtic in a close game while Avondale United, winners six times in the last 10 years came through against Blarney.

The remaining teams in the competition are:

Leinster Senior League:

Arklow Town

Bangor Celtic

Bluebell United

Broadford Rovers

Cherry Orchard

Crumlin United FC

Dublin Bus FC

Dunboyne AFC

Firhouse Clover

Glebe North FC

Greystones United AFC

Killester United FC

Lucan United FC

Newbridge Town FC

Portlaoise AFC

Portmarnock AFC

St Francis FC

St James Gate FC

St John Bosco

UCD AFC

Wayside Celtic

Munster Senior League:

Avondale United

Bandon AFC

Carrigaline United AFC

Leeside AFC

Midleton FC

Ringmahon Rangers

Riverstown FC

Rockmount AFC

UCC

Ulster Senior League:

Bonagee Utd

Letterkenny Rovers

Paul Osam's side had drawn 0-0 with their Northern Ireland counterparts and were unlucky not to get at least a draw from this entertaining encounter.

Ireland had the home defence scrambling in the 18th minute but failed to turn the ball home and then ten minutes later the Welsh were denied an opener when Dylan Levitt had a shot blocked.

The Irish had an excellent opportunity to break the deadlock in the 36th minute but Luke O'Brien's strike was well-saved by home keeper Scott Reed.

Wales went ahead eight minutes into the second half with a scrappy goal that was eventually bundled home by Brandon Oddy after a goal mouth scramble.

The Welsh, captained by Ethan Ampadu the son of former Ireland U21 cap Kwame Ampadu, extended their lead in the 51st minute when Rabbi Matonda drove past two Irish defenders before blasting to the top corner.

Ireland responded well and seven minutes later Welsh keeper Reed was forced into another impressive stop from Jordan Doherty's long range strike.

The Irish pulled one back when Aaron Connolly should great composure to round the keeper and finish from a tight angle.

Osam's side had a penalty shout waves away in the 70th minute for an apparent hand-ball and has another appeal rejected after a challenge on Connolly.

The visitors were desperately unlucky not to equalise three minutes into injury-time when Lee O'Connor rattled the crossbar following a well-worked corner.

Ireland meet Scotland in their final fixture on Thursday afternoon.

"We played very well again but conceding two goals early on the second half. One was an unstoppable goal with a great finish although maybe we could have got a block on it," said Osam.

"I was very heartened to see that we didn't drop our heads after going two down and we rallied well. We'd made nine changes from the first game. We finished very strongly and had a couple of penalty appeals turned down and one seemed an absolute penalty in my opinion.

"The boys are very disappointed which is a natural reaction after losing a game but I've told them that we played very well. We learned a lot from this game and we will from the next game and the other games we'll play.

"We don’t want to be losing games and just learning but we've created 17 chances in two games. We'd like to score more but at least we are creating chances. I'm satisfied about how we've performed and I think the players can see that we've done well and just a few small things need to be fixed and we'll start turning performances into victories."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Lorcan Callaghan, Cian Lee, Lee O'Connor, Daryl Walsh, Thomas Caffrey, Jonathan Afolabi, Niklas Baylor, Dominic Peppard, Luke O'Brien, Alex Kelly, Cian Hughes. Subs: Jordan Doherty for Baylor 50 mins; Aaron Connolly for Afolabi 55; James Jennings for Luke O'Brien 70.

RESULTS & FIXTURES

Sunday, November 1

Northern Ireland 0-0 Republic of Ireland, Newport Stadium

Tuesday, November 3

Wales 2-1 Republic of Ireland, Dragon Park, Newport

Thursday, November 5

Scotland v Republic of Ireland, Newport Stadium (12.00 noon)

There were 32 teams in the draw, 21 from the Leinster Senior League, 9 from the Munster Senior League and 2 form the Ulster Senior League.

The draw spung some interesting ties, most notably the clash between Crumlin United and Avondale United. Crumlin are the current holders of the cup and Avondale have lifted the cup six times in the past ten years. The sides also met last season at the Quarter FInal stages and with Crumlin advancing to the Semi Finals afetr a 2-0 win. 

Fixtures in this round will take place weekending 29th November 2015. Watch the video to see how the draw unfolded. Full draw below.

Midleton FC
V
Dublin Bus FC

Wayside Celtic
V
Carrigaline United AFC

Glebe North FC
V
Newbridge Town FC

Bangor Celtic
V
Firhouse Clover

Rockmount AFC
V
Broadford Rovers

Crumlin United FC
V
Avondale United

Leeside AFC
V
UCD AFC

St John Bosco
V
Riverstown FC

Cherry Orchard
V
Portlaoise AFC

Killester United FC
V
Bonagee Utd

Ringmahon Rangers
V
Arklow Town

Bluebell United
V
UCC

Greystones United AFC
V
Lucan United FC

Dunboyne AFC
V
Letterkenny Rovers

St James Gate FC
V
Bandon AFC

St Francis FC
V
Portmarnock AFC