Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward says her side's 1-0 win against Turkey in the Women's Nations League "wasn't pretty" but that the three points were the "most important thing".

Every long journey starts with a single step and Carla Ward took a welcome stride in the right direction on her bow as head coach of the Republic of Ireland women’s team. Ward’s ambition is to lead the team to the 2027 World Cup where the sun and samba beat of the Copacabana will seem

Kyra Carusa’s goal deep into first-half stoppage time gave Ward a winning start to her reign, and to Ireland’s Nations League campaign. But the new boss admitted that the game was “scrappy” as her players adjusted to a new system.

A month on from her appointment as Eileen Gleeson’s successor, Carla Ward will get her reign as Republic of Ireland head coach under way against Turkey in Tallaght on Friday evening in the opening game of the team’s Nations League campaign.

Carla Ward's reign as Republic of Ireland manager gets off to a winning start as her side beat Turkey 1-0 in the Women's Nations League.

Carla Ward couldn’t hide her frustration on the touchline as Ireland made a meal of their Nations League win against Turkey on Friday night. Kyra Carusa’s goal decided the tie, but the performance was a few notches below what the new Girls in Green gaffer would have expected on her first 90 minutes in the job.

WELCOME TO INTERNATIONAL football,” Carla Ward thought to herself as the clock ticked down at Tallaght Stadium. The new Ireland head coach opened her reign with a scrappy 1-0 win over Türkiye last night.