Northern Ireland’s impressive FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 qualifying campaign continued with an 11-0 victory over North Macedonia in Skopje this afternoon.
The win is The Green and White Army’s biggest-ever and enables them to continue to apply pressure on England and Austria in their qualification group.
Everton’s Simone Magill netted four goals while Liverpool’s Rachel Furness managed three. There were also three assists and one goal for Birmingham City’s Rebecca Holloway as Kenny Shiels’ side ran riot.
Liverpool forward Furness netted the game’s first goal from close range after just four minutes before further clinical finishes from Rebecca McKenna and Magill gave Northern Ireland a three-goal advantage inside 15 minutes.
Furness then scored one penalty and missed another before Lauren Wade curled home a fifth goal and Kirsty McGuinness struck number six.
Northern Ireland would go into the break 7-0 up with Magill netting her second goal of the game from a couple of yards after receiving a low pass from Holloway.
Shiels’ side had to wait until the 68th minute before scoring an eighth goal, Furness thumping her effort into the net to secure her hat-trick before Magill completed her treble five minutes later.
Further gloss was added in second half injury time when Magill grabbed her fourth goal following some woeful North Macedonian defending before defender Holloway fired home the 11th goal of the game to cap-off an historic win for The Green and White Army.
The two sides meet again in Belfast on Monday evening as Northern Ireland look to kick on further in the group.
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