Northern Ireland’s World Cup hopes may have all but come to an end after a 4-0 defeat by Portugal in Larne, but for Kess Elmore the difficult evening marked the start of a long-awaited international journey. Portugal produced a ruthless first-half display to take a comfortable advantage into the break, before Elmore’s half-time introduction helped Northern Ireland produce a much-improved performance after the interval.
Elmore was a surprise call-up for the play-off double header against Portugal, ranked 22nd in the world. She had been involved in a Northern Ireland training camp in 2021 and thought her chance to pull on the green shirt was over. “I wasn’t expecting Michael to call me. It was in the back of my mind, but definitely something that I kind of thought had passed,” she said.
The midfielder or winger, who normally plays for Sparta Prague, said her experiences across different teams, formations and tactics have given her a real understanding of the game. She hopes to bring that knowledge, as well as an attacking presence, into a young Northern Ireland squad. “It’s great to have those experiences under my belt because now going into these games, I feel pretty confident in what I can do and what I can bring,” Elmore said.
Her debut came on a difficult night at Inver Park, where Northern Ireland struggled against a clinical Portugal side. Elmore gave her team a different dimension in attack with energy and movement in the final third. She said she had no idea whether she would make her debut, but was told at half-time that she would be coming on. “I just wanted to come on and bring energy and work for the team,” she said. “Portugal had a lot of momentum in the first half, so I kind of wanted to shift that in our favour and I feel like the second half was a lot better. So, I’m happy that I could contribute to that. We knew it was going to be a very defensive game for us but huge respect to Portugal and what they can do.”
While Northern Ireland fans will feel disappointment after the four-goal defeat, Elmore’s performance offered an encouraging glimpse of what she could bring to the young squad. She was one of three players who earned their first cap against Portugal, underlining McArdle’s determination to widen his options and build depth.
Elmore normally plays on either the wing or in midfield for Sparta Prague, but she spent much of her time at Inver Park leading the Northern Ireland line as a lone striker. She has already tested herself on some of European football’s biggest club stages, including the Champions League and Europa League this year, and said the new role was another challenge she would embrace. “That was the first time playing centre-forward for a very long time since university,” she said. “I like any of the attacking positions and anywhere attacking, I’m happy to play. I mean, anywhere the team needs me, I’m happy to be there.”
Manager McArdle believes the England youth international can add to the group. Northern Ireland will now travel to Portimao on Tuesday (19:45 BST) but face a tough task. “I think with Kess come on, obviously making her debut as well, I think that brings a nice energy,” McArdle said. “I’m grateful that we’ve all seen Kess because you’ll see what I see now. There is someone here who can add to the group and give us something going forward and in the final third, so delighted that she’s gone on the pitch.”