The Republic of Ireland's injury woes are not relenting. Having already consigned himself to the loss of Stephanie Roche and Megan Campbell for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and European Champions Holland, Colin Bell today confirmed that Player of the Year Harriet Scott will be missing with a collarbone injury.
Bell called the loss of Scott a "massive blow", and further depletes Ireland's options at full-back. So diminished are the ranks, Bell may be forced to adjust formation.
It was obvious that Steph and Megan would be out, but I was still hoping that Harriet would be able to get back. She had an examination last Friday. We met a few days earlier at the Cup final, and we had a long chat the day before that match. I was hoping she would get the okay, but the surgeon said that she needed another three weeks of recovery before starting contact again.
Harriet is a massive blow as it's another full-back, like Megan. It's a position and player we can't really replace at the moment.
She has had a fantastic time, over the last 12 months she has definitely been our most consistent player. Fantastic young lady off the pitch, and a real terrier and not nice to play against on the pitch. The challenge is to compensate for her loss; we can't compensate one-to-one, we are going to have to put it on more shoulders. I honestly don't know at the moment what I'm going to do, but we'll have to see if everyone comes in fit and healthy and experiment a little bit.
In more encouraging news, Aine O'Gorman and Megan Connolly have returned to the squad having missed the famous 0-0 draw against Holland through injury.
That improbable draw has put Ireland in an encouraging position to qualify for a major tournament for the first time. Currently, Ireland and Holland are level on seven points in second place, two points behind leaders Norway on whom both nations have a game in hand. The group winners qualify automatically for the World Cup, with second chances relatively scant: just four of the seven group runners-up will qualify for the playoffs.
Ireland face Slovakia on April in Tallaght on April 6th before renewing rivalries with the Dutch four days later, with the double-header posing Bell's Irish squad with a new challenge.
For the first three games we only had one game in the window. We have quite a few players in our squad who are home-based and they are not professional. They are not used to playing two games i four days, at that intensity. So we have to take that into account. The majority of the Slovakia team are playing in professional environments in the Czech Republic and Germany.
It's definitely a good experience for us. We've worked very hard to compete and get have a realistic chance of qualifying, but nevertheless, we can never forget
This is the challenge.
The squad prepared for that challenge somewhat with two friendlies against Portugal within four January days. Bell admitted that Ireland were complacent in the opening 1-0 defeat, but recovered to win the second clash 3-1, which Bell described as "a real confidence-booster". The squad subsequently gathered for a training camp in Cork that was somewhat interrupted by snow, but was rounded off with another confidence-serving 1-0 win against a Cork City boys team on the final day of the camp.
While Bell admitted that the squad will need to be "nearly perfect" to stay in the hint for qualification across this double-header, he ended his media briefing today with somewhat of a rallying call.
I ask the girls - would you prefer to be at home in front of the fire watching the telly wishing you were playing, or there realising that you are actually able to play? Where would you rather be? Most would say that they'd prefer to be there with their shirts on. So go and perform, what are you waiting for? Don't be wishing you could be there, you are there. It's a fantastic opportunity for them. Hopefully, everyone will have a long life, and the timeline to professional football is a very, very short time.
We leave in the here and now, so let's go for it. That's my message to the girls.
Let's go for it.
The Irish squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Marie Hourihan (Manchester City), Amanda Budden (Cork City), Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne)
Defenders: Claire Walsh (Peamount United), Sophie Perry-Campbell (Brighton and Hove Albion), Diane Caldwell (SC Sand), Louise Quinn (Arsenal), Niamh Fahey (Bordeaux).
Midfielders: Tyler Toland (Maiden City), Megan Connolly (Florida State University), Karen Duggan (Peamount United), Denise O'Sullivan (NC Courage), Roma McLaughlin (Shelbourne), Amy Boyle-Carr (Sion Swifts).
Attackers: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Leanne Kiernan (Shelbourne), Amber Barrett (Peamount United), Isibeal Atkinson (Shelbourne), Ruesha Littlejohn (Celtic), Aine O'Gorman (Peamount United), Claire O'Riordan (Wexford Youths), Dearbhaile Beirne (UCD Waves)
