Katie McCabe was denied a hat-trick by the 4th official at the Aviva on Friday night as the Republic of Ireland Women beat Belgium 4-2 in the first leg of their Nations League promotion/relegation play-off. McCabe put the home team in front on the stroke of half-time when she converted a penalty, but seven minutes into the second half Belgium were level when Irish ‘keeper Grace Moloney was caught off her line and Wullaert scored her 94th international goal. Two minutes later McCabe thought she had scored again when her long-range effort came off the post and bounced off goalkeeper’s Evrard’s back and into the net. The 4th official later confirmed that officially it was an own goal. But on 62 minutes the Irish captain made it 3-1 when she scored with a great strike inside the penalty area. American-born Marissa Sheve made it 4-1 after 66 minutes, but eight minutes from time Detruyer got a goal back for Belgium, which will give them some hope for the second leg which will be played in Leuven, Belgium, tomorrow night. The Northern Ireland Women, who were beaten 2-0 in Ballymena in the first leg of their Nations League play-off on Friday night against Iceland, they were due to play the second leg in Reykjavik also tomorrow.
