Vera Pauw is wary of Ireland getting too big for their boots - or for their trousers - as they look to build on last month's win over Finland tomorrow night.
The Girls in Green host Slovakia in their third World Cup qualifier in a game they're expected to win comfortably before facing Georgia in Tallaght on Tuesday night.
But Ireland's Dutch coach cautioned fans not to get ahead of themselves ahead of what she expects to be a tight contest between two evenly-matched sides.
Pauw has handed a first call-up to 16-year-old Shelbourne sensation Jessie Stapleton for the game after Wexford's Ellen Molloy withdrew with injury.
She said: “If I can use a Dutch saying, if you put on pants that are too big a size, they will go down to your ankles.
“It means that if you act bigger than you are, you will have problems. We are very realistic about our growth and the steps we want to take.
“We know what we can do and what we can’t do - yet. We know that we have to perform at the same level against Finland if we are going to win.
“The intensity needs to be the same. We know our qualities and we know if we perform to our qualities we have a good chance. Otherwise we will have a problem."
Ireland were winners home and away the last time they faced the Slovaks, in qualifying for the 2019 World Cup under Colin Bell.
A 2-0 win in Bratislava was followed up with a last-gasp Amber Barrett winner when the sides faced in Tallaght.
Ireland hold somewhat over a hoodoo over Slovakia, having beaten them in all five of their encounters to date.
A 1-0 friendly win in Tallaght in 2017, thanks to Steph Roche's penalty, came in the wake of a threatened strike over playing conditions for the women's national team.
Pauw warned her players not to take anything for granted against a side who will have targeted Ireland as one of their more winnable games in the group.
She said: "We have to have the same level of game that we did against Finland to have a chance to win. If we lose points now, we will immediately not have a buffer. But the teams are very close, you can see that in the rankings.
“However, we are on the point of getting to a level where we can qualify. I think we're on the right track.”
Republic of Ireland v Slovakia, Tallaght Stadium, Thursday November 25, 7pm
