Republic of Ireland 3
Hungary 2
FEW SAW IT, but Ireland rounded out 2025 with a win over Hungary in Marbella this afternoon.
Abbie Larkin starred in the behind-closed-doors international friendly, bagging a goal and an assist, with Kyra Carusa and Denise O’Sullivan also on target.
3-2 v Hungary. Sound familiar?
Although the scoreboard makes it look tighter, this was a comfortable win for Carla Ward’s side ahead of February’s World Cup qualifiers against France, Netherlands and Poland.
Intent to “try different things,” the manager was largely pleased with the exercise in sunny Spain.
Select Irish media were permitted to watch the game via an FAI stream; a surreal experience as almost every word uttered on the pitch could be heard in a physical, and at times fiery, encounter. Bar the anthems, caps awarded, and other officialdom, it felt like a training game for the most part.
Ward shuffled her pack and used 17 players in total, handing Sophie Whitehouse her debut in goal. She continued with a 5-3-2 formation, making some tweaks off the ball against Hungary’s back four.
Larkin broke the deadlock in the eighth minute, picking up where she left off in last month’s Nations League playoff success. The Crystal Palace 20-year-old was given a rare opportunity from the off, as one of five changes, and she took it with both hands.
As Hungary erred playing out from the back, Larkin pounced to pick Henrietta Csiszár’s pocket before racing clear and cooly finishing for her third international goal.
The perfect start for Ireland — and they could have scored earlier, as an unmarked Caitlin Hayes headed a pin-point free-kick delivery from Katie McCabe just wide.
The Ireland XI. Josele Lanza / INPHO
Josele Lanza / INPHO / INPHO
10 minutes later, Larkin turned provider, sending Carusa through for her 12th goal in green. Larkin held up a pass from O’Sullivan around the middle, set off on a driving run, and shifted to Carusa, who slotted home with her second touch.
Ireland were in complete control, playing the ball around nicely without creating any real chances, but let Hungary back into the game with a soft concession in the 27th minute.
Hayes tried desperately to recover Borbála Vincze’s shot after a scramble in the box, but the ball ended up in the net. Whitehouse, who had been commanding from the off and stepped up with one big save, smothered the initial Hungarian effort, but Borbála’s follow-up dribbled through Irish bodies, almost in slow motion.
As Hungary — ranked 20 places inferior — grew into the game, Borbála had a decent opportunity just before the break, but she lifted over.
Ward turned to her bench at the midpoint, mixing up the defence. Jessie Stapleton and Chloe Mustaki entered the fray, with Hayley Nolan shifting to right-wing back and Anna Patten stepping into the six.
O’Sullivan continued to find her range, and the Cork midfield maestro made it 3-1 with 55 minutes on the clock. It was a well-worked team goal and a smashing finish; Lucy Quinn’s delivery was knocked back by Nolan and O’Sullivan unleashed first time from just inside the box.
Ireland’s Abbie Larkin in action with Hungary’s Bernadette Szőcs. Josele Lanza / INPHO
Josele Lanza / INPHO / INPHO
Much of the second half was stop-start and scrappy, owing to changes, experimentation and an injury to Hungary’s Beatrix Fordos.
With that, frustration grew, and McCabe was in sharp focus. The captain was heard criticising referee Seth Galia on several occasions, and was eventually booked after words with the Gibraltar official.
Ireland upped the ante and ball speed, but openings were few and far between. Tara O’Hanlon featured as the sixth and final substitute, making her long-awaited return after a horrific period of injures.
The game was petering out — until Hungary pulled one back in the 89th minute.
Ireland will be disappointed with the concession. As they tried to play out, Zsanett Kajet nicked the ball from Stapleton and slotted past Whitehouse.
It added gloss to the scoreboard for Hungary, but this was a comfortable Irish win.
A pity so few saw it. Onto the real business in February.
IRELAND: Sophie Whitehouse; Aoife Mannion (Chloe Mustaki HT), Anna Patten, Caitilin Hayes, Hayley Nolan, Katie McCabe (Tara O’Hanlon 84); Tyler Toland (Jessie Stapleton HT), Denise O’Sullivan, Lucy Quinn (Jamie Finn 60); Abbie Larkin (Saoirse Noonan 78), Kyra Carusa (Leanne Kiernan 60).
HUNGARY: Brzkycy; Nagy, Fordos (Papai 73), Nemeth, Szabo; Mayer, Csanyi, Csiszar, Sule (Savanya 62), Vincze (Csiki 73); Purlins (Kovacs 73).
Referee: Seth Galia (Gibraltar).
Written by Emma Duffy and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
