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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Mark McCadden

Gothenburg hero Courtney Brosnan all set for a very different challenge in Georgia

Her goalkeeping heroics were key to Ireland securing a famous point away to Sweden in April - but she can expect a different challenge in Georgia on Monday.

Courtney Brosnan produced the performance of a lifetime in Gothenburg as Ireland’s World Cup qualification bid was boosted by a 1-1 draw against the world number two ranked side.

Georgia, on the other hand, are 124th in the FIFA table, behind the likes of Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Nepal, the Faroe Islands and Hong Kong.

They have yet to score in six games so far in Group A and have conceded 41 goals, including 11 in last November’s visit to Tallaght Stadium.

And when it comes to shots on target, they have managed just seven in over 630 minutes of football so far.

So it’s highly unlikely that Brosnan will feature to the extent that she did in Sweden, when she pulled off some outstanding saves and collected cross after cross.

But that creates its own challenges - and the 26-year-old knows that this is just the type of game that can leave a goalkeeper red-faced.

“As a goalkeeper you realise how important that concentration and focus is,” said the New Jersey-born net-minder.

“You could have so many minutes where you don’t have anything to do, and then you could be called upon for 10 seconds where you need to be at the top of your game.

“That’s something we talk about when we train. So you have to be ready for that.”

Her last competitive game was played in front of a crowd of over 12,000 fans - including a healthy pocket of travelling supporters.

This time around in Gori, an hour from Tbilisi, the turnout will be a fraction of that.

But the outcome will be just as important to Ireland’s prospects of making the World Cup play-offs.

Brosnan insisted: “Everyone realises how important all the games are, whether there are tons of fans or no fans at all.

“Everyone knows these games are really important, no matter who is in the crowd.

“Being a goalkeeper, you could be called upon to make one save or 20 saves.

“It’s just staying in the moment, staying focused on the task and just being ready for what the game has in store for you.”

The conditions will be another factor for Brosnan and her teammates to contend with - as temperatures are set to be in the high-20s, with thunderstorms also forecast for matchday.

Vera Pauw’s players are preparing for the heat during a training camp in southern Turkey, including last Sunday’s friendly against the Philippines, before jetting into Tbilisi on Saturday.

“It’s been great being able to adjust here to the heat and get a sense of what it will be like in Georgia,” said Brosnan.

“It’s been hot here. The mood is great, everyone is excited and looking forward to getting another game under our belt.

“I think it was great to get that game against the Philippines. You think you know how hot it can be and then you realise how brutal it can be.”

She added: “I think obviously there is a lot that goes into the preparation but at the end of the day, you can’t really control the weather or certain factors.

“I think the main thing is we’ve all played in crazy hot weather, we’ve all played in crazy rain, I used to play in snow in my college days.

“You take it all on board and prepare as best you can. Obviously it might pose a different challenge.”

Away from the international scene and Brosnan’s contract with Everton is up.

She made three appearances for the Toffees after her brilliant display in Sweden. But what next for the Irish goalkeeper?

“I’m just trying to focus on the game here and do everything I can for Ireland and then I’m working very hard to be in the best position for myself at the club level as well,” she said.

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