Crunch time nears for Heather's Euro Championship hopes
It's crunch time tomorrow for Heather Payne and her Ireland's women's national team mates when they face a massive test against Germany with a play off spot for the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championships on the line
Vera Pauw’s team are second in Group I behind Germany and know that they must finish in that position in order to take another step closer to the finals tournament in England.
In terms of qualifying, the nine group winners and the three best runners-up (not counting results against the sixth-placed team) qualify directly for the final tournament, while the remaining six runners-up advance to the Play-Offs.
Germany have already been confirmed as Group I winners, which means that the runner-up spot and a Qualifying Play-Off is now between second-placed Ireland (13 points) and third-placed Ukraine (12 points).
At the same time that Ireland host Germany the other group game will see Ukraine play Montenegro. Pauw's team currently hold a better goal difference so they need to equal or better Ukraine's result in order to seal second spot.
Payne is a Ballinasloe native who previously represented the ADSL Development Academies, Ballinasloe Town, Salthill Devon, Peamount United and Bristol City Women.
She now plays for Florida State University.
Defender Megan Campbell and forward Leanne Kiernan are ruled out, while Hayley Nolan, Alli Murphy, Megan Connolly and Kyra Carusa were unavailable to meet up with the squad.
All of the players & staff tested negative for COVID-19. They each underwent testing before coming into camp, then in the team base on Monday, November 23, and again on Sunday, November 29.
SQUAD LISTS
Republic of Ireland
Goalkeepers: Marie Hourihan (SC Braga), Courtney Brosnan (West Ham United), Grace Moloney (Reading), Niamh Reid-Burke (Peamount United)
Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Keeva Keenan (Celtic), Claire Walsh (Peamount United), Louise Quinn (Fiorentina), Diane Caldwell (SC Sand), Claire O'Riordan (MSV Duisburg), Eabha O'Mahony (Cork City), Isibeal Atkinson (Shelbourne), Aine O'Gorman (Peamount United)
Midfielders: Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Jamie Finn (Shelbourne), Denise O'Sullivan (Brighton & Hove Albion - on loan from NC Courage), Niamh Farrelly (Peamount United), Ruesha Littlejohn (Leicester City), Ellen Molloy (Wexford Youths), Jessica Ziu (Shelbourne), Emily Whelan (Shelbourne)
Forwards: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Heather Payne (Florida State University), Amber Barrett (FC Koln), Rianna Jarrett (Brighton & Hove Albion)