AndyC Guest 0 post 26-Feb-2008 1:27 PM

Northern Ireland face tough challenge against English Can Norn Iron do the English over again? Northern Ireland's women footballers face the toughest test in their history next Thursday (6th) evening when welcome World Cup quarter finalists England to the Province for a UEFA European Championship Group 3 qualifier to be held at Mourneview Park, in Lurgan. The visitors, currently ranked 10th best in the World, are leading the group and will be expecting to pick up another 3 points against a side who are going through a dismal run of results in these championships. Northern Ireland, incidentally ranked seventy two places behind their opponents at 82nd, have gone four straight without a sniff of a win, the sole highlight being a meagre return of one strike by Sarah McFadden, against a backdrop of losing an average of 4 goals a game as they have now conceded 16 times. Rachel Yankey, England and Arsenal ladies will be in action The side though, will not lack the determination or the spirit required to put a spanner in the works, and the game mirrors in many respects, the size of the task ahead when the green & white army last faced the might of the English on local soil. That night in October 2005, despite being up against all the odds, we witnessed the remarkable achievement of Northern Ireland humbling the English, David Healy sending the English dreamteam home in tatters with that memorable, glorious 1-0 win at Windsor Park in Belfast. Surely, no chance of repeat by the ladies? Though in front of a sizeable home support, the ladies will not fail to give 100 per cent and hopefully can lift themselves and put in the sort of performance which saw them qualify for the second stage of a senior competition for the first time ever. All together now........Healy, Healy, Healy!! The visitors however, will be confident of maintaining their perfect record in the campaign and are bringing a team packed with some of the modern games most familiar names including among others Rachel Yankey, Faye White and Kelly Smith. This formidable footballing trio from double winners Arsenal Ladies endorse the development and advancement of the English game which saw the league champions first ever success at club level in Europe last season. These two nations clashed in September in Gillingham, where despite holding Hope Powells’ side in a scoreless first half, superior fitness levels proved to be the difference as the English turned the screw in the second half and romped to a slightly flattering 4-0 scoreline. Wins quickly followed against Belarus and Spain while the Northern Irish went down 1-3 to the Czech Republic, got hammered by Belarus 5-0 before their most recent setback a 4-0 defeat in Spain last week. Northern Ireland went down 4-0 in Spain on the 16th The highlight of the former fixture being the performance and contribution of Bangor's own Ashley Hutton, who had a fantastic game at the back and was voted "Player of the Game" by her manager and team-mates. The young teenager, who first played along side the boys at Kilmaine Primary School before establishing herself in the girls team at Bangor Academy, where she represented the school at three consecutive Youth Games. Currently at Leeds United Ladies she will relish the prospect of facing some of her former Arsenal team-mates. Ashley came through as a school girl at the English giants football academy in Saint Alban's, being selected from 300 talented footballers for a scholarship before going on to play in the United States, where she played soccer for Southern Mississippi University, before returning in 2007 on a professional contract for Icelandic Premier division side Fylkir, who are based in Reykjavik. Northern Ireland will be hoping that with the home support, maybe, just maybe...... The Northern Ireland defender will no doubt have her hands full facing the quality of the opposition, but is fired up and ready for what will be a really tough game, and maybe, just maybe, turning the English over again. The game kicks off at 7.30 p.m., tickets available from contacting the I.F.A. Last Edited on 28-Feb-2008 10:59 AM