'Proper Irish performance' - Ward on Poland win

Midfielder Denise O'Sullivan, who went close to a spectacular second in the second half when she rattled the crossbar with a volley, also expressed her pride in a gritty display.

Republic of Ireland kept Barcelona and Poland captain Ewa Pajor quiet again in Dublin and after also running the Netherlands and France close, O'Sullivan believes the Irish are picking up real momentum after a difficult start to Ward's reign.

"We knew Poland would come out with something different and they were a bit more aggressive with their full-backs and were a bit more tight in midfield, their winger came in and marked me but all round, amazing performance," she told RTE.

"If you look, everyone turned up at the Aviva and stuck together. That is what we are about and I think this group has something special.

"We have a lot more to give, this team has really improved. We are improving every camp and we'll look for points against Netherlands and France."