Girls in Green hammer Northern Ireland to end Nations League in style

The Republic of Ireland made it six UEFA Nations League wins out of six on Tuesday evening as they breezed past Northern Ireland 6-1 at Windsor Park.

Goals from Lucy Quinn and Heather Payne had the visitors in control by half-time, with Katie McCabe, Kyra Carusa, Louise Quinn and Cailtin Hayes reducing this international derby to a procession.

In what was interim manager Eileen Gleeson's final game at the helm, the visitors turned on the style to sweep aside their spirited but limited hosts.

The FAI will confirm the new permanent boss before Christmas. Whoever it is, they’ll be walking into a dressing room bursting with confidence and hungry to realise big ambitions.

Before God Save The King, there was a little slice of history as Amhrán na bhFiann was played for the first time at this venue. Both anthems were respectfully observed at a ground that’s had a significant makeover in the 29 years since Jack Charlton brought his Republic of Ireland here for a Euro 96 qualifier, which they won 4-0.

That was the last time the two national teams had met in a senior soccer international in Belfast before tonight; and though Northern Ireland needed a result to keep alive their hopes of making the promotion play-offs, any aspirations they had of pulling off a shock wilted badly.

Initially it seemed as though we’d have a spiky nip-and-tuck contest. There was barely five seconds on the clock when Chloe McCarron hit Ruesha Littlejohn with a bone-shaking challenge that left the midfielder seeing stars.

It looked like a tone-setter, but Ireland soon settled.

Carusa almost punished goalkeeper Maddison Harvey-Clifford’s nonchalance by charging down her delayed clearance, the ball ricocheting wide. Then McCabe laid down a marker of her own when