Claire O'Riordan was in a small minority yesterday when she admitted that she hadn’t seen Nathan Collins’ wonder-goal against Ukraine.
But the Ireland and MSV Duisburg centre-half says she would back herself to find the net if called upon in the upcoming World Cup qualifier away to Georgia.
O’Riordan is a regular on the scoresheet at club level, but mostly from set-pieces.
How would she feel about attempting a solo effort, just like her men’s team counterpart managed in Lodz on Tuesday?
“Yeah, I can give myself a go at it, why not?” she replied.
There is an expectation in some quarters that Ireland can go on a scoring spree on Monday week against a team that was thumped 11-0 in Tallaght Stadium late last year.
Three points, however, is the first priority within the camp, with no one taking the win for granted.
“Everyone is level headed and we have our feet on the ground,” said O’Riordan, who travelled to Turkey with the rest of her teammates for a training camp ahead of the Georgia clash.
“We know the task at hand, we know what happened the last day and how successful the team were at scoring goals.
“But you know we’re away from home in this camp, we need to take that into consideration and just focus on ourselves and do the best that we can in securing the win, all going well.
“Some goals would be nice to top it off with.”
O’Riordan arrived in Dublin earlier this week on the back of a promotion-winning season with Duisburg.
Between the confidence gained from that and the memories of Ireland’s famous draw in Sweden still fresh in the mind, spirits are high within Vera Pauw’s squad.
“Coming back into playing games after my injury, I was just looking to build rhythm and confidence,” said the 27-year-old.
“And I think as the games progressed and training progressed, I got that, and got a good feeling for it.
“I suppose being a defender, and scoring a few goals was pretty nice.
“I took a lot of pressure off myself and looked to play my game as simple as possible and to do what I needed for the team.
“I think I’m going to do that in this camp, just as I finished in the last camp.”
She added: “It is very hard to put into words how everyone felt about that point away, because Sweden are obviously a very good team, and are number two in the world.
“It gave a lot of encouragement going forward for the team, and confidence coming into this camp. Everyone worked so hard, and everyone was rewarded by the end of it.”
The Limerick native is back in full swing after a serious ankle injury sidelined her for club and country.
She reckons she has returned a better player from the setback.
“The injury itself was very difficult and how it went, but it was a massive learning curve for me as a player and as a person,” O’Riordan said. “I think I learnt an awful lot just from watching.
“As a person, when we’re faced with a challenge, it all depends on how you take it, if you take it personally or use it in a positive light.
“And I think I used it in a positive light and I think I used it.
“I’ve got really amazing feedback since, just as coming back as a player. My knowledge, some people feel, is enhanced. If that is the case, so be it.”
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