Littlejohn: Ireland need to stop conceding cheap goals

If Ireland are going to take that next step and compete with the best sides in the world, they must eradicate their costly habit of conceding soft goals, reckons experienced midfielder Ruesha Littlejohn.

Republic of Ireland went down 2-1 to World Cup finalists England at Carrow Road after a typically gutsy performance. That's now five losses from five Group 3 games for the Girls in Green s they bid to make next year's European Championships in Switzerland.

Eileen Gleeson's side survived an early English onslaught with their heads just above water and battled every step of the way - but a fifth-minute Alessia Russo strike gave them a mountain to climb.

To make matters worse, having worked their way back into the game, Ireland shot themselves in the foot with a calamitous penalty concession in the second half that ultimately handed England all three points.

"Disappointing to concede so early. It goes back to us taking about 20-25 before we figure out what's going on," a frustrated Littlejohn told RTÉ Sport after the game.

"It's something we need to keep working on, but I thought we came back into the game with a bit of calmness, a bit of composure and some good football.

"It’d be nice if we could stop conceding cheap goals."

As the team continues to find their identity in the post-Vera Pauw era, the ambition to play a more enterprising brand of football has at times conflicted with the need to be defensively frugal against the best teams in the world - one of which England most certainly are.

"That’s us. Sometimes we go backwards a lot when we don’t need to," Littlejohn added. "We need to be braver in stepping forward and demanding the ball. We need to have more options for players on the ball, sometimes we’re a bit delayed.

"We