Grace Moloney (Sunderland)
Could do nothing about Tessa Wullaert’s beautifully struck first goal but, just like on Friday, she was chipped by the Belgian captain for the second when she and Caitlin Hayes got their wires hopelessly crossed. Rating: 5
Aoife Mannion (Newcastle)
Came close enough to giving Ireland the lead after the mayhem that followed a first-half Katie McCabe corner, but for much of the rest of the game she was kept busy with the threat of Jarne Teulings down the left. Got caught out by Laura Deloose down that wing when she set up Belgium’s opener. Rating: 6
Jessie Stapleton (Nottingham Forest)
No more than the rest of her defensive colleagues, she was given a torrid enough time by the Belgian attack once they found their mojo, but the 20-year-old, who has become a firm favourite of Carla Ward, showed no little maturity, especially having picked up a yellow card early on. Rating: 6
Caitlin Hayes (Brighton)
Should have put Ireland ahead early on from a Katie McCabe free, but missed the flight of the ball. Really poor for Belgium’s second goal when she mis-hit her clearance from Laura Deloose’s long pass in to Wullaert’s path. Came close to pulling one back with a fine header from another McCabe set-piece, but Nicky Evrard denied her. Rating: 5
RM Block
Chloe Mustaki (Nottingham Forest)
Deservedly kept her place on the left of the back three after her performance on Friday, but she had much fewer opportunities to get up in support of Katie McCabe this time around. Tidy throughout. Rating: 7
Katie McCabe (Arsenal)
One hundred caps and counting, there can’t have been many more stressful evenings than this one. Her deliveries from frees and corners, particularly in the first half, were superb, and even if she didn’t have quite the same impact as she had on Friday, she still drove the team on throughout. Rating: 8
Marissa Sheva (Sunderland)
Close enough to anonymous in the first half on the left of midfield, but came much more in to it in the second. She set up a good chance for Emily Murphy but should have done better when she broke in to the box, Nicky Evrard saving her tame enough effort. But, once again, brought no little energy to the side in that second half. Rating: 6
Ruesha Littlejohn (Crystal Palace)
She was typically steadying in front of the back three in the early stages of the first half when Ireland were on top, but once Belgium took control she was overrun and had little influence on the game. Replaced by Anna Patten at half-time. Rating: 5
Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage)
That she was still even on the pitch in the 90th minute, when she headed the ball in to Kyra Carusa’s path in the build-up to Abbie Larkin’s goal, says it all about her willingness to push herself through the pain barrier when she pulls on that shirt. Not even being on the wrong end of a late tackle or three could stop her. Rating: 8
Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave)
A bit of a Groundhog Day for Carusa in an Irish shirt: worked herself in to the ground, but few opportunities came her way on her 40th cap...until O’Sullivan played her through two minutes from time. Yet again, though, Nicky Evrard saved. But then she set up Abbie Larkin for what proved to the play-off’s winning goal. Rating: 7
Emily Murphy (Newcastle)
Another big shift from the forward in terms of work-rate, but once again no reward. Her one big chance came early in the second half when Sheva set her up, but Evrard denied her. Replaced by Abbie Larkin just before the hour mark. Rating: 6
Substitutions
Anna Patten helped steady the ship when she replaced Littlejohn in midfield for the second half. Abbie Larkin came on for Murphy after an hour but squandered a good chance when Carusa played her through. Had another decent effort from the edge of the box, before scoring the goal at the death that sent her team-mates in to raptures. Neat feet too, brilliantly taken. Rating: 8
Manager – Carla Ward
Her first task on her appointment in January was to get Ireland back in to the A division of the Nations League – so, it’s mission accomplished. She’ll probably have aged 20 years in Leuven after Belgium went 2-0 up, but her side got there in the end.
It’s taken her a while to figure out this team and its strengths, Ward too hell-bent on making them play her way rather than blending her approach with what has worked for them in the past. Hopefully she’ll have learnt plenty from these play-off games. Rating: 8
