It was a historic night in Glasgow in Tuesday and the night was especially sweet for those players who'd soldiered for years and years for the Ireland team, during the bad old days when striking was the only means necessary to get the public's attention to the team's plight.
Aine O'Gorman was the only Women's National League based player in the Vera Pauw's XI for the Ireland WNT's win over Scotland on Tuesday night, securing a first every major tournament for the team.
Last night, O'Gorman's club, Peamount United welcomed their national team hero back to Newcastle in South Dublin and gave the Wicklow woman quite the reception.
O'Gorman was given a guard of honour by members of the youth teams and the senior squad.
Welcoming home our hero! 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/HrGgczPzFS
— Peamount Utd FC (@peamountutd) October 13, 2022
What a moment not only for Aine O'Gorman but for all of the players at the club and in particular the youngsters that represent Peamount United.
Not many juvenile sides or players would ever have the chance to welcome a national team player back to the club, just days after playing a pivotal role in Ireland qualifying for a World Cup.
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The 33-year-old operated further forward during the win and had an outstanding game on the right hand side of midfield. O'Gorman has represented her country a whopping 113 times, and with the form she's showing, she's likely to continue to add to this number over the next few years.
Tuesday's win was made even sweeter for O'Gorman who scored an own goal in Ireland's European Championship Qualifying campaign back in 2020. Ukraine ended up beating Ireland 1-0, a result which meant Ireland missed out on a playoff spot for last summer's Euros.
23 October 2020; Aine O'Gorman, left, and Katie McCabe of Republic of Ireland leave the pitch following the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Qualifier match between Ukraine and Republic of Ireland at the Obolon Arena in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Over the past year, a number of Ireland internationals have left the Women's National League for a chance to play abroad, with Aine O'Gorman being the sole representative in the matchday squad against Scotland.
Perhaps the variety in players operating at different levels across a number of different leagues and countries has played a huge part in the success of Vera Pauw's side.
Of the 23 players in the squad on Tuesday night, seven of those were currently playing their trade in the Women's Super League. A further eight were playing in the Championship.
There were two members of the squad playing in Scotland and USA, with representatives from the Danish, German and Italian leagues also in the side.
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