Women's World Cup: Republic of Ireland player ratings - Quinn, Fahey and Larkin catch the eye

The Republic of Ireland's first-ever game in a Women's World Cup ended in a frustrating, but battling, 1-0 loss to co-hosts Australia.

With Vera Pauw's defence standing firm and some impressive cameos from the bench, here is how the players rate.

Courtney Brosnan - 7

The goalkeeper's positioning was perfect, and she could do nothing about the penalty that was conceded at the start of the second half. Brosnan was the foundation of the Irish defence that stopped Australia from creating through the middle.

Louise Quinn - 8

The Irish centurion headed away and dealt with everything that was sent into the box by Australia. Quinn, one of the most consistent performers ever to put on an Irish jersey, played in front of 70,000 people with her distinct sense of calmness.

Niamh Fahey - 8

The Galway born defender made a number of interceptions, covered space and used her body well to win Ireland a free-out inside their own penalty area at the start of the second half. Fahey, a rock in the defence in the Hampden qualifier, was her typically diligent and impressive.

Megan Connolly - 7

The versatile Corkwoman was deployed in defence against the Aussies. She intercepted passes and delivered set pieces with inch perfect precision. Connolly went close to equalising with a late free-kick.

Ruesha Littlejohn - 7

The midfielder was a ball of energy for Ireland and she did not stop running for the 90 minutes she was on the pitch. Littlejohn was disruptive and broke up play with expert tackling.

Denise O’Sullivan - 8

If the midfielder was having a hangover from the injury picked up last week against Colombia, it never showed as she covered every blade of grass. O’Sullivan operated as a number six and number ten, with her defensive duties a