Republic of Ireland secured a vital 1-0 victory against Poland at the Aviva Stadium, taking a major step toward locking down third place in World Cup qualifying Group A2. Manager Vera Pauw will be pleased her squad achieved the objective of collecting six points across this international window after defeating the dangerous Polish side twice.

Kyra Carusa’s determined run set up the decisive moment just before halftime. Her low cross found goalkeeper Kinga Szemik in a difficult position, allowing midfielder Sheva to slide in and tap home her fifth international goal. Earlier chances saw Emily Murphy rattle the crossbar for the Irish after Poland had also missed an early opportunity through Ewa Pajor.

Both teams exploited space wide in a physical opening period, but Ireland possessed the necessary cutting edge. Denise O'Sullivan later struck the woodwork in the second half, though Ireland managed the game well enough for a clean sheet. Despite the defensive effort, both O’Sullivan and Murphy collected bookings, ruling them out for the next qualifier against the Netherlands in June.