Megan Campbell is becoming something of a talisman for the Ireland under-17s ladies side.
During the Elite Qualifiers for the recent UEFA Championship finals, the Drogheda native produced a crucial goal for Ireland in a game they had to win against Sweden, one of the strongest women's national sides in Europe.
With the game poised at 1-1, Campbell - a left-back - bent a free-kick around the Swedish wall to send an Irish ladies team into the final stages of a European competition for the first time at any level and book a semi-final tie with Germany.
The game with Germany promised to provide a sterner test of Ireland's credentials as they went into the game unbeaten in three years and on a mission to win their third UEFA Championship title in succession. More crucially, a place at next September's World Championships in Trinidad & Tobago was at stake, with the losers of the semi-final having to face a third-place play-off to determine their fate.
But Ireland edged out the Germans 1-0 and it was thanks again to free-kick specialist Campbell, whose 30 yard set-piece flew into the top corner of the net. Ireland saw out the remainder of the game to set up a final date with Spain and assure their place in Trinidad & Tobago next September.
And despite losing the final to Spain 4-1 on penalties - having held the Spanish goalless for 100 minutes - Campbell's father Eamonn believes Ireland can travel to the World Championships full of confidence.
"She was really disappointed with the Spain game," he said. "After their performances against Germany and Sweden, they thought they should have been able to take Spain. But there were plenty of positives to take from the game."
"What's to stop Ireland going over there [to Trinidad & Tobago] as favourites? They've beaten Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Germany this year and Spain could only beat them on penalties. The fact nobody scored against them should serve as a major boost."
Eamonn is not surprised to see his daughter making a name from herself on the international stage - where she has represented Ireland since she was 13 - as he recalled her humble beginnings with Grove Rangers.
"From the age of nine she was playing with Grove Rangers and you could see it then, not even just her technical ability, but her reading of the game and her awareness. Since then, she's developed very well and it's all thanks to the coaching she's had so far."
"She's made a great career out of it so far - she's been to nine different countries already this year, so whenever a draw is made she says, 'I've been there already!'"
Campbell plays her club football with St. Francis in the Dublin Women's League and joined up with the Irish squad on the back of a successful domestic season that saw her claim a double at under-16 level. She also currently represents St. Francis at senior level in the summer league and will be participating in the Women's Champions League in Croatia this summer.
Campbell hopes to eventually play soccer at a professional level and is hoping to go to America on a scholarship where there is a women's professional league - but her father feels she might need to work on her right foot first.
"Sometimes, she can be too one-footed," Eamonn joked. "I often tell her that if she tried to stand on her right foot she'd fall over!"
The FIFA under-17s Women's World Cup took place in Trinidad & Tobago in 2010. The Republic of Ireland were drawn in group D alongside Brazil, Canada and Ghana. A 2-1 reverse in the opening fixture against Brazil was a bad start, but a 1-0 win over Canada and a 3-0 victory over Ghana - in which Campbell scored after five minutes - saw Ireland top the group on goal-difference.
The last-16 draw pitted them against Japan where Ireland fell to a 2-1 defeat. Japan would go on to finish runners-up after losing 5-4 on penalties to South Korea following a thrilling six-goal final.
Campbell joined Raheny United in 2011 and was part of the side that defeated Peamount United in the 2012 FAI Cup final (article on Drogheda girls' cup joy by the Drogheda Independent). She made her senior international début in 2011 and has played 11 times to date.
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