Northern Ireland's World Cup hopes may have all but ended after a 4-0 defeat to Portugal in Larne, but for Kess Elmore the match marked the start of a long-awaited international journey. Portugal produced a ruthless first-half display that gave them a comfortable lead at the break, and Elmore's half-time introduction made an immediate impact as Northern Ireland improved considerably after the interval.
Elmore was a surprise call-up for the play-off double header against world number 22-ranked Portugal. She had been involved in an NI training camp in 2021 and believed her chance to wear a green shirt had passed. "I wasn't expecting Michael to call me. It was in the back of my mind, but definitely something that I kind of thought had passed," Elmore said. She added that her experience across many teams, formations and tactics would help a young squad, bringing an attacking presence.
Her debut came on a difficult evening at Inver Park, where Northern Ireland struggled against a clinical Portugal side. Elmore gave her side a different dimension in the final third, bringing energy and movement. "I just wanted to come on and bring energy and work for the team," she said. "Portugal had a lot of momentum in the first half, so I kind of wanted to shift that in our favour."
Elmore normally plays on the wing or in midfield for Sparta Prague, but spent much of her time leading the line as a lone striker, a role she had not played for a very long time. Manager Mc Ardle believes the England youth international can add to the squad, which travels to Portimao on Tuesday (19:45 BST) for a tough task.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing