A hard-working performance registered by Ireland showed their intent of competing in Group A3 but they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to France in Metz.

A goal from Marie-Antoinette Katoto inside the opening six minutes proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. However, Ireland will take a lot of positives from their opening EURO 2025 qualifier.

Eileen Gleeson's team showed that they are putting their 'hard to beat' mantra into practice as they made four key blocks, worked well as a defensive unit and saw goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan earn the Sky Ireland Player of the Match award.

Competing against the UEFA Nations League runners-up - who are ranked third in the world - was always going to be a tough task for Ireland but they showed that they could mix it with them and if some of their final passes were more precise then they might have cut the French open.

Defender Anna Patten impressed on her WNT debut, while Aoife Mannion put in a big shift in the wing-back position. This was a game where the visiting team were on the back foot a lot but they showed grit when dealing with that pressure.

France, though, displayed their quality in swift attacking moves and they kept Brosnan busy with a total of 21 shots unloaded at her goal.

Ireland will now move on to hosting England on Tuesday, April 9th with a big crowd expected at the Aviva Stadium. Tickets are still available here.

France: Pauline Peyraud-Magnin; Ève Périsset (Wendie Renard 77), Griedge Mbock Bathy, Maëlle Lakrar, Sakina Karchaoui; Kadidiatou Diani, Grace Geyoro, Sandie Toletti (Amandine Henry 77), Kenza Dali (Sandy Baltiore 83); Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Eugénie Le Sommer 61), Delphine Cascarino (Vicki Becho 61) 

Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Heather Payne (Leanne Kiernan 62); Caitlin Hayes, Louise Quinn, Anna Patten; Aoife Mannion (Jessie Stapleton 89); Megan Connolly, Denise O’Sullivan; Emily Murphy (Megan Campbell 46), Katie McCabe; Kyra Carusa (Amber Barrett 62) (Lucy Quinn 72). 

Referee: Maria Caputi (Italy).