'Stay calm' - Ireland boss Carla Ward hails 'superb' second-half surge against Greece

CARLA WARD’S HALF-TIME message was to keep calm and carry on as Ireland’s second period surge secured a 4-0 win in Greece.

Ireland got their Nations League campaign back on track in Crete this evening after last month’s 4-0 drubbing to Slovenia.

Katie McCabe’s half-time arrival helped change the game as her fellow substitutes Marissa Sheva and Amber Barrett, Kyra Carusa and Jessie Stapleton, bagged the goals.

Ward hailed a “superb” second half as she reflected on the crucial League B win at Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion.

The Ireland head coach was “concerned but not concerned” with another subpar opening half performance, but her changes and a cool dressing room paved the way for a second win in three games.

“It’s the players that deserve the credit,” Ward told RTÉ’s Tony O’Donoghue.

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“I keep saying it. We’ve not had long on the grass, they’re implementing the things we did in the week that have come to life today, particularly in the second half. It was great to see.

“[McCabe and Sheva] have come on and they’ve made a huge difference. Just being able to stretch and being able to play with a bit more intensity allowed us to dominate the game and I thought the second half was superb.”

“Take a breath” was the message from goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan before Ward entered to share her own words of wisdom.

“At half time it was actually a really calm message: just remember what we’re going after.

“We probably weren’t looking at the spaces we wanted to or looking to stretch it — I think stretching it gives you the right to play and drops them off. We needed to do that, increase the tempo a little more, start to engage them a little bit more, and when we did that, I thought it was much better. 

“We’ve had seven tactical sessions as a group. You’ve got to take your hat off to the players because they’re delivering, they’re listening, they’re putting it into practice.”

Ward lauded McCabe’s “massive impact” but stressed the “squad effort” in the first game of a quick-fire double-header against the Greeks.

The Ireland captain was held in reserve as she manages a calf strain picked up in Champions League action for Arsenal, but was hugely influential on her introduction.

It was the first time McCabe didn’t start for Ireland since she missed last summer’s Euro 2025 qualifier against England due to suspension — and her first bench appearance in years.

“We knew she had 45 in her, it was a choice: do we start her and potentially have to bring her off? I wanted to go the other way,” explained Ward.

“She’s made a massive impact, as has Marissa. Others who came on, they’ve been brilliant too. I think it was a squad effort, I think everyone’s been brilliant.

“It was just a case of stay calm, stick to what we want to go after and they did that.”

The English coach was also asked about Stapleton, who like “little livewire” Sheva scored her second international goal in a Player of the Match display, and Amber Barrett, on the scoresheet on her 50th cap.

“[Stapleton] has huge, huge potential and is going to be a top, top player for this country. When she got the goal, I was delighted for her. She’s done herself a world of good.”

“What an individual, what a great human being to work with,” added Ward on Barrett.

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“She said to me after, ‘Thank you for giving me the opportunity,’ but actually thank you for getting that goal. That’s what she’s capable of, big moment player, what a wonderful character to work with.

“Everyone that came on caused problems, gave us a headache and that’s good. This camp has been so far good, but it’s a massive game against these on Tuesday. We have to start in the way that we finished this game and we have to go and get three points again.”

Barrett, meanwhile, had a thoughtful mention for former assistant head coach Colin Healy and his family at the end of her own TV interview. 

“Can I just also send condolences to the Healy family on the anniversary of Colin’s wife’s passing this time last year,” the Donegal striker said. “Best to Colin, and that result was for you.”