Euro 2022 Group A, round 2: Austria 2-0 Northern Ireland
WHILE their team-mates understandably reached for positives, Sarah McFadden and Marissa Callaghan encapsulated why they are such inspirations within this Northern Ireland team, both declaring themselves "gutted" to lose to Austria and end the dream of a quarter-final place.
Defiant defender 'Mac', who added Nicole Billa to her list of scalps, insisted she had expected to keep the tournament hopes alive heading into Friday's meeting against the fearsome hosts:
"We thought today was the day that we were going to get the big win and then go into the England game with a chance of actually getting out of the group. We're just really disappointed."
The Bellaghy woman also argued that she should have won her team a spot-kick late in the first half for a push in her back in the Austrian box, having already helped keep the score at only 1-0, after Katharina Schiecht's poorly-defended opener:
"I thought it was [a penalty], I don't know if it went to VAR or even got checked? I just assumed I'd got a penalty.
"I've been pushed in the back. I would never go down if I hadn't been pushed, but I've been pushed. It mustn't have been enough contact, but that would have changed the game."
Despite that, McFadden has enjoyed her battles, having also marked Norway star Ada Hegerberg: "I do think that the reffing has been a lot better than some of our European [qualifiers] and World Cup games. Even tonight, letting you make a challenge, letting you defend hard, it's been a lot better than what it has been in the past."
With her south Derry accent tinged with English north-east after years with Durham, she's relishing taking on England, despite their destruction of Norway:
"The motivation is the same as for every game in this tournament - we want to impress the fans. They were back in their thousands again, they have paid thousands to be over here, and giving them something to celebrate will be our motivation going into the next game.
"We're Northern Ireland, we never give up a good fight, we look forward to bringing it to the English."
Even though both games have ended in defeat, as Friday night surely will, the 35-year-old is adamant that "I've been loving it. I never felt that in my career that we'd get to experience this, and we're just looking forward to using this as motivation for the upcoming years."
Callaghan is looking forward to a packed stadium - and wearing the green at last:
"How amazing is it going to be playing England in front of a full house at St Mary's? What an experience.
"We are always motivated putting on the green jersey, there is nothing better. We will regroup and be focussed and ready to go on Friday.
"We just have to go and throw everything at it, we always do. We always go into games believing that we can get a result and we still will."
