England glided previous the Republic of Eire because of a cultured, ruthlessly environment friendly first-half efficiency in Tuesday evening’s Euro 2025 qualifier on the Aviva Stadium.
Final Friday, France had 21 efforts and only one purpose to indicate for it once they beat the Ladies in Inexperienced. Right here, Sarina Wiegman’s reigning European champions rattled the online twice from the six makes an attempt they usual in a commanding opening interval.
Lauren James drilled dwelling the opener on 12 minutes, and Alex Greenwood transformed a penalty seven minutes later after Ruesha Littlejohn was penalised for a handball. Greenwood hit the put up when the guests received one other spot-kick simply earlier than the half-hour mark.
Eileen Gleeson’s fees – sometimes spirited – did have their moments within the second half. One in every of Megan Campbell’s trademark lengthy throws led to an opportunity that Anna Patten mishit; and Caitlin Hayes drew a sensible save from Hannah Hampton after a back-post header. Katie McCabe additionally examined Hampton in an encouraging closing quarter-hour, however the hosts couldn’t get the purpose the vast majority of the 32,742 crowd craved.
England, loaded with profitable expertise, noticed it out to sentence Eire to a different loss.
This one was not with out its positives; simply one other reminder of how brutally aggressive life on the high goes to be on this difficult qualification marketing campaign.
Eire caught with the 5-4-1 setup they adopted towards France, although there was a few tweaks to the lineup. McCabe went to left wing-back, Aoife Mannion was stationed on the precise, whereas Lucy Quinn and Littlejohn had been introduced into the engine room.
From the tip-off, Carusa nudged the ball to O’Sullivan who instantly went on the assault. It seemed like a sign of intent, however the hosts would quickly drop right into a deep block and problem England to interrupt them down.
Problem accepted.
The Lionessess turned the screw with the persistence of cat burglar cracking a secure. Twelve minutes in, the door swung open.
A Keira Walsh diagonal in direction of the again put up floated over McCabe’s head; Lucy Bronze’s downward header bounced off Patten’s shins and the ball fell kindly for James to drill dwelling a composed end.
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No mistake from the spot from Alex Greenwood who doubles England’s benefit
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5 minutes later, it bought worse. After McCabe’s headed clearance looped exterior the field, Jess Park executed a candy volley that cannoned off Littlejohn’s arms. Finnish referee Lina Lehtovaara hesitated for a couple of seconds earlier than pointing to the spot to award a penalty that few in inexperienced contested. It was the precise name, and Greenwood duly slotted it dwelling.
James was a forcefield, the vast majority of England’s constructive play orbiting round.
The sport sagged for some time because the Lionesses popped the ball round and Eire grafted desperately for some territory, however one other blow arrived within the twenty eighth minute.
Lehtovaara blew her whistle once more for an additional spot-kick, although this one seemed questionable. Louise Quinn tried to knock away a Hemp cross beneath heavy stress from Russo, with the ball ricocheting onto her arm. Penalty.
Justice was accomplished when Greenwood lashed her effort off the within of the put up. A reprieve for Eire, who had been trying more and more frayed.
James appeared to be taking part in the sport in sluggish movement, driving tackles and discovering house with easy grace. She epitomised England’s class; no panic, no complacency. They merely held Eire at arm’s size and dictated the phrases on which this worldwide derby was contested.
For the second recreation in succession, Gleeson made a change at half-time: on got here Megan Connolly, off went Littlejohn.
McCabe – heartily booed by the away followers all through – clattered into James as Eire tried to rattle their rivals early within the second half. Simpler stated than accomplished.
Hemp, a menace all evening, scampered down the left and lashed in a depraved cross that evaded a couple of ready teammates; then Wiegman flexed her bench to introduce Fran Kirby and Beth Mead.
Eire badly wanted a raise. They bought it with a double sub on 61 minutes that noticed Leanne Kiernan and Megan Campbell enter the fray. Virtually instantly, Campbell was given the chance to launch an enormous throw-in that had England troubled for the primary time within the recreation.
The group responded. So did England.
James robbed Patten of possession and swung in a deep cross for Mead. Her knockdown was met on the run by Kirby, who was as shocked as everybody else within the floor to see Brosnan produce an impressive save from point-blank vary.
With Campbell on the pitch, Eire did no less than have an attacking weapon that might take a look at England from all angles. One other certainly one of her throws led to some panic within the space that finally led to Kiernan being chopped down 30 yards from purpose.
McCabe clipped in a peach of a supply, Louise Quinn steered again throughout purpose just for Patten to fresh-air her crew’s finest likelihood of the evening.
Because the minutes ticked down, Eire began to go far more direct. Hayes ghosted across the again keep on with nod McCabe’s nook goalwards; then McCabe charged down a Hampton kick, sprinting on to the unfastened ball earlier than lashing in a rising drive that the stopper saved.
McCabe went on one closing driving run in stoppage time, lofting in a cross that floated past the wrong-footed O’Sullivan. And that was that.
Eire will head for Might’s conflict towards Sweden with lots to ponder after a pair of testing video games towards two of the very best groups on the planet. They will take coronary heart from a rousing final 20 minutes that had an elite crew trying flustered.
Republic of Eire: Courtney Brosnan; Heather Payne (Leanne Kiernan 61), Caitlin Hayes, Louise Quinn, Anna Patten, Aoife Mannion; Lucy Quinn (Megan Campbell 61), Ruesha Littlejohn (Megan Connolly HT), Denise O’Sullivan, Katie McCabe (capt); Kyra Carusa (Emily Murphy 67)
England: Hannah Hampton; Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson (capt), Alex Greenwood, Jess Carter; Jess Park (Fran Kirby 56), Keira Walsh, Ella Toone (Georgia Stanway 75); Lauren Hemp (Beth Mead 56), Lauren James (Chloe Kelly 86), Alessia Russo (Rachel Daly 86)
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (Finland)
Attendance: 32,742
