KYRA CARUSA’S first half header proved the difference as the Carla Ward era got off to a winning start.
The San Diego Waves attacker’s first half smart header earned a big victory in the first of their UEFA Nations League Group B, Group 2 clash against a resolute Reds defense with 8,071 roaring on in Tallaght.
With a lot of the talk in the build up to the game of acrimonious departures from the previous regime, that continued to rumble on in the background, coupled with desperately trying to put the bitter disappointment of last December’s 2-1 defeat to Wales to bed – which ultimately cost them their place at the European Championships – the Girls in Green couldn’t get on the grass soon enough.
With 35 places in the FIFA ranking separating the sides at kick off, Ireland up at 25th and Turkiye sitting in 60th, the home side were given a couple of early warnings that they wouldn’t have it all their own way as the visitors came flying out of the traps forcing a couple of early corners.
Having settled in their new fluid looking 4-3-3, with a narrow midfield allowing both full backs to push on in possession, the hosts began to push the visitors back.
The impressive Ruesha Littlejohn went close with a rasping 30-yard effort that, for a brief moment, looked as if it was catching Selda Akgoz off her line before eventually sailing just over.
And minutes later the vocal home support got the first look at a Megan Campbell special as she launched a throw in straight into the 6-yard box as chaos ensued.
The ball eventually popped out to the feet of Denise O’Sullivan 12-yards out only for Busem Seker to great reactions to clear off the line.
With a real war of attrition developing, both sides could feel the need to win the physical battle before earning the right to play.
As the clock ticked over into first half injury time, the Irish side eventually found the deserved breakthrough against a stubborn Turkish defence with some neat first time football unpicking the lock.
Aoife Mannion firstly fizzed a ball into the feet of Marissa Sheva, who laid it off first time to Heather Payne.
The Everton star, making her 50th appearance, then lofted a delightful cross towards goal, finding Kyra Carusa who in turn looped a clever header over the helpless Akgoz, to grab her tenth goal in a green shirt.
Having weathered 120 minutes of football the night previous, the underfoot conditions began to show wear and tear as the second half progressed with the ball not moving as slick as some would have liked.
But to their credit the hosts moved the ball well with Littlejohn continuing to be the metronomic maestro in the heart of everything good for Ireland as they searched for their second.
Another notable string to the Irish teams bow was the insistence of building out from the back to entice the Turkish side on to them in the hope of finding some space in behind.
But with just the one goal in it anything can happen, and almost did when Melike Pekel burst down the left wing finding Elif Keskin with a low cross.
But thankfully for Ward et al the tame shot was deflected straight at Courtney Brosnan.
The visitors seemed buyout by this foray into the Irish final third then forced a couple of quick fire corners.
The second of which was a devilishly delivered inswinger that looked to have caught Brosnan off guard and looked to be soaring in at the back post but was rescued by the quick thinking Campbell who got back on the line to head clear.
The tough tackling visitors, desperate to find an equaliser, took the wind out of their own sails with a number of tough challenges halting any momentum they tried to build.
Having suffered an injury time hearts-in-mouths moment when substitute Arzu Karabulut missed the target from close range following a goalmouth scramble, the home side showed real grit and determination to see out a nervy last few minutes to battle their way to all three points.
Sun Star Player of the Match – Ruesha Littlejohn (Ireland)
Ireland: Brosnan 7; Mannion 7, Patten 7, Campbell 7 (Hayes 6, 87’), McCabe 7; Sheva 7, Littlejohn 9 (Connolly 7, 77’), O’Sullivan 8; Payne 7, Quinn 7 (Larkin 7, 62’) ; Carusa 8 (Barrett 7, 62’)
Turkiye: Akgoz 6; Sakar 6, Gulbin Hiz 7, Abrahamsson 6, Civilek 6; Topcu 6, Cal 6 (Icinozbebek 6, 82’); Keskin 7 (Karagenc 6, 90+3’), Turkoglu 7 (Karabulut, 71’), Seker 6; Pekel 7 (Hancar 6, 82’)
Referee: Réka Molnar (Hungary) 6
