NORTHERN Ireland’s Women’s Under-19 team suffered a 4-0 defeat by Switzerland’s WU19s in the second game of their friendly double header in Belfast.
Manager Gail Redmond made four changes to the side that started the first game on Friday, a 1-1 draw, bringing in Cerys Sharkey, Sophie Magee, Sophie Gargan and Ellen Hampton in place of Abbie Smith, Gracie Conway, Rhianna Breen and Abi Sweetlove on her call up to the senior international squad ahead of Tuesday’s play-off with Croatia.
Aimee Kerr, scorer of Northern Ireland’s goal in Friday’s 1-1 draw, donned the captain’s armband.
In a quiet start to the game at Blanchflower Stadium, Northern Ireland carved out perhaps the best effort of note in the opening 10 minutes when Aimee Kerr fired a 25-yard free-kick just over the bar.
However, the deadlock was broken on 14 minutes when Switzerland midfielder Lia Kamber ran through to finish past keeper Cerys Sharkey.
Northern Ireland had a great chance to level on 20 minutes when Darcie McNeill played a great through ball to which Sophie Gargan connected to unleash a great strike which Swiss keeper Lorena Barth met with an equally good save.
The visitors came close to doubling their advantage midway through the half when Kamber produced a superb stop from Sharkey with Leela Egli’s follow up coming back off an upright.
Redmond’s side might have equalised on 40 minutes when, from a ball into the box, Sophie Magee was unlucky to fire over the bar from close range.
Half-time: Northern Ireland WU19s 0 Switzerland WU19s 1
Switzerland doubled their advantage on 54 minutes, however, following some good work down the left from Egli before crossing into the box for half-time substitute Emanuela Pfister to get the final touch to turn the ball over the line.
And Pfister struck again on 70 minutes to extend Switzerland’s advantage when, from a ball sent over from the right, she finished well past Sharkey.
Northern Ireland didn’t let their heads drop, and might have pulled a goal back with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining after Rhianna Breen did well to produce a good stop from the keeper from outside the box.
However Switzerland added a fourth just a couple of minutes after that with a left-foot curling effort from Emilie Mece to complete the scoring.
These games will have helped Redmond prepare her squad for stage one of the qualifiers for the 2024-25 edition of the UEFA Women’s U19 European Championship.Northern Ireland have been drawn in League A Group 6 where they will face holders Spain, Iceland and Belgium.
Those games will be played from November 27 to December 3 in Spain.
Full-time: Northern Ireland WU19s 0 Switzerland WU19s 4
Line-ups
Northern Ireland WU19s: Cerys Sharkey, Sophie Magee, Sofie Keenan, Faye Loughran, Sophie Gargan, Kascie Weir, Aimee Kerr (captain), Rachel McIntyre, Ellen Hampton, Darcie McNeill, Orleigha McGuinness. Substitutes: (used) Gracie Conway, Rhianna Breen, Clodagh Maguire, Niamh O’Donnell, Rebecca Mann, Bernie Ferreira; (unused) Abbie Smith, Anastasia Stanyte, Sophie Kelly-Bradley, Katie Markey
Switzerland WU19s: Lorena Barth, Alexia Morales, Leane Fontaine, Lola Brugger, Janina Egli (captain), Lia Kamber, Noemi Ivelj, Nevia Stoob, Emilie Mece, Leela Egli, Anja Klingenstein. Substitutes: (used) Manon Kellenberger, Emanuela Pfister, Mia Bennewitz, Andrea Schenk, Joana Dias; (unused) Yasmine Ammar, Tamara Biedermann, Fiona Sperlich, Zoe Donni, Aida Ragusa
PICTURES BY BOB HALL
Croatia players were interested spectators ahead of their Euro play-off against NI Seniors
Victorious Swiss team
