The Republic of Ireland women all but booked a place in the World Cup play-off final on Friday, beating Kazakhstan 8-0 in Astana in the first leg of their semi-final. Seven different players scored, one of them on her debut, and the visitors had the tie settled well before the second leg in Cork.
Five goals before the break
Carla Ward's side were rarely troubled on the plastic surface at the Astana Arena. They opened the scoring after seven minutes when Kyra Carusa headed in Chloe Mustaki's cross past goalkeeper Nazym Ismailova. Mustaki got her own first international goal on 16 minutes, and then turned provider again to create Carusa's second on 28.
The game's controversial moment came just after the half-hour. Kazakhstan captain Yulia Myasnikova fouled Abbie Larkin as the Irish striker tried to get in behind the home defence. Norwegian referee Karoline Marie Jensen first showed a yellow card, then checked the pitchside monitor and upgraded it to red in the 33rd minute. Ismailova was forced off injured before the break, replaced by Angelina Portnova, and by then Kazakhstan, ranked 99th in the world, were short of players and ideas.
Emily Murphy made it four in the 44th minute and Larkin scored in stoppage time, 45+3, to leave Ireland five up at the break. Mustaki finished the night with a goal and, according to the BBC, three assists.
Debut goal and a head-first finish
Ward changed things at half-time, bringing on Amber Barrett, Tyler Toland and Leanne Kiernan, but the control stayed with Ireland. Jamie Finn scored her first international goal on 58 minutes with a header from Aoife Mannion's cross. Shanade Hopcroft, the Crystal Palace midfielder, was on for her debut and needed four minutes to score, finishing first-time into the far corner from a Larkin cross on 73. Jessie Stapleton headed in the eighth in the 90th minute, again from Larkin's delivery.
It fell short of Ireland's record 11-0 win over Georgia in 2021, but this was professional work done without three of their key players. Captain Katie McCabe was suspended, and Denise O'Sullivan and Marissa Sheva did not make the 3,100-mile trip, which came amid discussion about Ward's future.
What comes next
The second leg is at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork on Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm BST. Ireland have won all three games they have played there. McCabe, O'Sullivan and Sheva are all available again, which gives Ward some pleasant selection problems, especially with Larkin's energetic display. The winners of the tie will face Belgium or Poland, who meet in Leuven tonight, in the final. Ireland finished third behind France and the Netherlands in qualifying and are chasing a second successive appearance at the World Cup, which takes place in Brazil next summer.
Kazakhstan, managed by Begaim Kirgizbaeva, have to somehow pick themselves up from this and go again. It is hard to see how they do.
Match facts: Kazakhstan 0-8 Republic of Ireland (Women's World Cup play-off semi-final, first leg). Goals: Carusa 7, 28; Mustaki 16; Murphy 44; Larkin 45+3; Finn 58; Hopcroft 73; Stapleton 90. Red card: Myasnikova (Kazakhstan) 33. Second leg: Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, Tuesday 19:30 BST. Source: BBC Sport.
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