Northern Ireland Women U-19s beaten 4-0 by Switzerland | OneFootball

Bob Hall Sports Photography

After Friday’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland, Northern Ireland Women U-19s went down 4-0 in the second friendly.

Gail Redmond made four changes to the side that started the first game, bringing in Cerys Sharkey, Sophie Magee, Sophie Gargan and Ellen Hampton in place of Abbie Smith, Gracie Conway, Rhianna Breen and Abi Sweetlove.

Northern Ireland carved out perhaps the best effort of note in the opening ten 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.

But 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.

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.

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.

Rhianna Breen did well to produce a good stop from the keeper from outside the box but the Swiss added a fourth just a couple of minutes after that, with a left-foot curling effort from Emilie Mece.

Bob Hall Sports Photography

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 27 November to 3 December in Spain.

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