And so the curtain almost certainly drops on Vera Pauw’s time in charge of Ireland with another piece of history made - and with a feeling once again that there was more there for the taking.
A point against Nigeria, Ireland’s first in a major tournament, is a respectable way to bow out of the World Cup. There were chances for the Girls in Green to take all three and a Courtney Brosnan wonder-save at the other end to preserve the stalemate.
But after another high-tempo first-half display, and with Irish legs tiring as the second-half progressed, Pauw waited until the 83rd minute before making her first changes. This was long after there appeared to be some interaction between players on the pitch and the dugout, looking for fresh energy to reinvigorate the Irish attack.
It was in stark contrast to the Canada game, when all five subs were made by the 65th minute, and Australia, when a double substitution in the 62nd minute led to a strong Irish finish. Ireland dominated possession last night and were way ahead of Nigeria in pass completion, but in front of 24,884 fans, the majority supporting the team in white, they once again struggled in the final third.
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The Irish can bow out with heads held high, having pushed top nations such as co-hosts Australia and Olympic champions Canada all the way in narrow defeats. The next step now is to find an edge in the final third, where much of last night’s impressive build-up play ended in frustration.
Nigeria, despite making just one change from the 3-2 win over Australia, looked a pale imitation compared to four days earlier. Perhaps the knowledge that a point guaranteed them progress to the last-16 influenced a more conservative approach to this one.
As for the Irish, Lily Agg made her first World Cup start, while Heather Payne returned to the starting-11 after missing the Canada game with a hamstring strain. Payne’s upper right leg was still strapped, but the decision to play her was almost rewarded in the fifth minute.
She whipped a low ball into the centre to Sinead Farrelly, who teed up McCabe, but the Arsenal ace couldn’t make the most of the opportunity. McCabe’s shot zipped across the surface and wide of the right-hand post.
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Keen to build on their promising start the Girls in Green, Ireland played some neat possession football and sought to attack down the right with Payne heavily involved. But there were a few heart-in-mouth moments too, like when Agg’s back pass to Courtney Brosnan was almost cut out.
And when Louise Quinn played an uncharacteristically loose ball into midfield in the 14th minute, it was easily intercepted by Uchanna Kanu. Kanu slipped the ball into the run of Asisat Oshoala, who broke into the area and drilled her shot across goal and wide of the far post.
To her credit, Quinn atoned for her initial error by chasing back and forcing Barcelona striker Oshoala into a hurried effort. An error at the other end of the pitch on 20 minutes, when Chiamaka Nnadozie dropped Megan Connolly’s free-kick, almost presented Agg with a chance, but the keeper recovered.
A purposeful burst forward by Denise O’Sullivan and through-ball should have led to a shooting chance for Kyra Carusa, but the striker’s first touch took her away from goal. More good O’Sullivan play - this time a perfect pass between two defenders, inviting Payne to race forward - led to a back-post chance for Farrelly.
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At full-stretch, however, the midfielder couldn’t direct the ball towards goal. Ireland continued to dominate possession, forced turnovers and most of FIFA’s blinding array of statistics, but it was the same old problem when it came to effectiveness in the final-third.
One example of that, on the half-hour, was when some fine build-up play ended with an overcooked Ruesha Littlejohn pass towards McCabe, who was in acres of space on the left. Poor touches in promising positions either saw shooting chances snuffed out or brought good build-up play to a frustrating end.
Nigeria coughed up another chance in the 36th minute when Quinn got her head to McCabe’s cross and nodded back into the centre towards Carusa. The ball was slightly behind the attacker, however, and she couldn’t generate enough power or direction on it to beat Nnadozie.
Nigeria upped the tempo after half-time and had the chance of the night in the 52nd minute - but didn’t reckon for Ireland goalkeeper Brosnan to channel her inner Gordon Banks. Kanu met Toni Payne’s cross and did everything right, heading the ball powerfully down into the turf from close range.
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Brosnan dived to her right and somehow managed to scoop the ball up and onto the crossbar, leaving Kanu to wonder how she did not score. So too O’Sullivan, just after the hour mark, when a McCabe throw found Carusa and she hooked the ball onto the North Carolina Courage star.
A touch to control the ball allowed Ashleigh Plumptre get into position to make the block, and goalkeeper Nnadozie was quick off her line to gather ahead of Payne. Brosnan was sharp again in the 69th minute to stop a well-worked free-kick from falling to Ajibade.
Sinead Farrelly completed 90 minutes in an Irish jersey for the first time, while there was a nice moment in injury-time when Diane Caldwell, at 34 years of age, won her 97th cap and made her first World Cup appearance.
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