After heaven and hell, Ireland land in purgatory

If they hadn't seen such riches, Ireland could live with being poor.

Once you've experienced playing in front of 70-odd thousand at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, it must be hard to get excited about a Nations League match against Slovenia in a sparsely attended Bonifika Stadium. Even more so when you've recently watched the sun go down on the paradise of another major tournament.

Before Christmas, the Girls in Green were in touching distance of this summer's Euros in Switzerland. But they fluffed their lines, losing 2-1 against Wales on a gut-wrenchingly frustrating night in Dublin.

That result cost Eileen Gleeson her job. In came the well-liked and well-respected Carla Ward.

Ward has plenty of time to get things right here, but Tuesday evening's 4-0 loss to Slovenia was a reality check.

The last time the Girls in Green conceded three goals in an opening half was back in 2020, when they suffered a 3-0 loss to Germany. Their last four-goal defeat? That came in a 2018 friendly versus Poland when Colin Bell blooded a number of youngsters. Before that, you'd have to go back to a European Championships qualifier in 2016 that ended in a 4-1 hammering against Finland.

Ireland have been on a remarkable journey over the last three years. The great fear is that we are witnessing the end, rather than the beginning, of a golden period.

Niamh Fahey, Julie-Ann Russell and Diane Caldwell all retired over the winter. Louise Quinn hasn't been seen in a green jersey since last July's win over France due to a hip injury.

Meanwhile the two jewels in this Irish side are moving towards veteran status. Denise O'Sullivan is 31, Katie McCabe will be 30 in September. They have loads more in the tank, but they can't go on forever. They also have a lot of