AMBER Barrett is expected to feature prominently this afternoon for the Republic of Ireland in their Euro 2021 qualifier in Montenegro.
Barrett is tipped to start for Vera Pauw’s Ireland as they look for a vital away win.
The game (3pm, live on RTÉ2) will be played behind closed foods at at the Pod Malim Brdom in Petorvac due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus.
Victory over Montenegro – some 60 places beneath them in the world rankings – would give Ireland a ten-point haul from their four games against Greece and Montenegro. The exception was in Greece when Barrett’s early goal was cancelled out by a last-gasp equaliser. Last week, in Dublin, Ireland made amends with a 1-0 win over Greece.
“We do need to kill teams off when we’re on top,” Barrett said.
“The longer it went against Greece without scoring the second goal, the more on edge we became. We’ve got to get that right against Montenegro.
“Our target from this double-header was six points, and we’ve got the quality to beat Montenegro.
“We can look at the group table after the match. Whether it’s 10-0 or 1-0, all that matters today is getting another three points,
“We beat Montenegro at Tallaght, but they gave us a good game. We know they’ll be once again dogged. Of course they’ll sit off to allow us have possession, but how we use the ball is the key. It’s all about being smart with our passes and remaining patient.”
The Milford woman could come into the starting XI, and said: “I’ll be available if needed. There’s a lot of good strikers in the squads but whoever gets the place, including me, has to show Vera that they’re capable of keeping the spot.”
Barrett is now lining out with FC Köln in Germany and is enjoying her new voyage having impressed with Peamount United in the Women’s National League.
She said: “I don’t want to get ahead of myself but it’s going really well for me at the moment.
“I’m getting to play in high-intensity matches every week which can only be a good thing.”
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