England have completed the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 group stage with an impressive 5-0 win over Northern Ireland at St Mary’s in Southampton this evening.
Fran Kirby and Beth Mead were both on target for the Lionesses in the first half before Alessia Russo came off the bench and helped herself to a double early in the second half. There was also an own goal for the unfortunate Kelsie Burrows who mis-controlled a Mead ball into the box.
England thought they had themselves a penalty kick in the opening minutes of the game when Georgia Stanway blasted the ball at the arm of Northern Ireland defender Laura Rafferty. The referee initially pointed to the spot before overruling her decision following a VAR review.
The Lionesses then had a flurry of chances which failed to produce a goal. Mead acrobatically fired over from a couple of yards out before Northern Ireland keeper Jackie Burns got her gloves behind a long range Millie Bright shot. Ellen White then took the ball past Burns but her effort rolled narrowly wide before Lucy Bronze headed off target when she looked certain to score.
Georgia Stanway saw a shot blocked on the line before England finally had their goal when Kirby expertly found the top corner with a shot from 20 yards.
England would go into the break two goals to the good. The ball fell to Mead just inside the area and she drove a low effort into the bottom corner.
The Lionesses added to their lead early in the second period through half-time substitute Russo. First, she headed in the game’s third goal following a lovely cross from Mead before the same player netted England’s fourth, finding the corner of the net after beautifully getting the ball under her control.
A series of substitutions then slightly disrupted the flow of England’s attacking play but they netted a fifth goal 15 minutes from time in fortunate circumstances. Mead’s long ball into the box was met on the volley by Northern Ireland substitute Burrows and the ball looped over Burns and into the net.
Mead had a couple of chances to add to England’s tally late on. She curled a free-kick narrowly off target before bending an effort just wide after Burns hadn’t got sufficient distance on a punch. Russo also had two chances to get the hat-trick but she headed over before blazing her second effort off target from a few yards.
England will now look forward to a quarter-final tie in Brighton on Wednesday while Northern Ireland go home with plenty of pride for their efforts.