Nerves received the higher of Northern Eire Ladies of their 4-1 defeat to Norway on Thursday night time, however they will nonetheless take satisfaction from their main match debut.
That's the opinion of supervisor Kenny Shiels and defender Julie Nelson, who made historical past as her nation’s first purpose scorer at a significant match.
Norway have been all the time the favourites to win at St. Mary’s Stadium they usually raced into an early lead, with targets from Julie Blakstad and Frida Maanum after simply 13 minutes, earlier than Caroline Graham Hansen’s penalty, awarded by VAR for handball, put them 3-0 up earlier than the break.
Nevertheless, as the sport wore on, Northern Eire grew in confidence and Nelson’s header simply after the restart gave them hope of an inconceivable comeback.
However it was to not be, as simply minutes later Guro Reiten’s low free-kick ensured a snug victory for Euro 2022’s darkish horses.
‘We have been just a little nervy within the first 15-20 minutes, our first expertise of a significant match,’ Nelson informed BBC Sport.
‘We knew it was going to be a tough activity. We restricted them to not many probabilities within the second half and made ourselves exhausting to beat. That's what we have to do.
‘It felt like a house recreation. We’re disillusioned with the outcome and the style through which we conceded. We will take coronary heart from the efficiency after that.
‘I positively didn't assume it might be me on the scoresheet, however it's an unbelievable feeling to attain Northern Eire’s first purpose in a significant match. As a defender, you don’t count on to attain the primary purpose. I needed to do a double-take to test it had gone in.’
Northern Eire weren't anticipated to get out of Group A, which additionally accommodates hosts England and Austria, however Shiels reiterated that that is all a part of the method of bettering the nationwide workforce for the longer term.
‘The scoreline was exhausting to take, I believed we deserved higher than that however we're three years into this programme and it'll take 10 years to take us into the highest 20 in Europe,’ the supervisor mentioned.
‘You aren't blissful once you get overwhelmed 4-1 however there are extenuating circumstances. They have been nervous for the primary 25-Half-hour.
‘If we are able to proceed to progress then we are able to do it a bit faster. We now have to get actual and perceive that is an rising recreation in Northern Eire. We now have created a monster as a result of now we have grown too shortly and are enjoying towards groups of this ilk.
“We matched them for the final hour, they'd extra territory, however we received one v one and did a number of great things. We created, received in behind for half an hour of the match and we pinned them again.
‘That provides us encouragement and the women have been very good, they gave every part for his or her nation and the followers will probably be very pleased with them. The expertise is sensible for them.’
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