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England’s Beth Mead scored a hat-trick off the bench after an hour of brilliant defending by Northern Ireland at Wembley

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Sat 23 Oct 2021 14.29 EDTFirst published on Sat 23 Oct 2021 11.08 EDT
Beth Mead celebrates after making it 3-0.
Beth Mead celebrates after making it 3-0. Photograph: Katie Chan/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock
Beth Mead celebrates after making it 3-0. Photograph: Katie Chan/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock

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The hat-trick hero Beth Mead: “Even to score a goal at Wembley generally is just an amazing feeling ... to come away with a hat-trick is a special feeling ... Sarina has confidence in every single one of us, we came on the pitch to do a job today, and that’s what we did.”

Northern Ireland’s Marissa Callaghan speaks: “I’m so proud of the girls, I thought we put in a really good shift. First half, we defended really well, and our goalkeeper was outstanding. For an hour of the game, we worked so hard, and I thought we did really well ... All in all I’m really proud of the girls ... Jackie Burns in nets was outstanding ... that’s all we can do, we can only work hard for each other, and I think we left everything out on the pitch today.”

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Wiegman speaks: “I’m very happy with this score ... these are hard games, they are defending all the time ... first half we created chances but didn’t score, we needed to keep the patience ... the players that came on made the difference, so that’s really nice, with the hat-trick of Beth [Mead] ... a really nice evening.

“I’m impressed by this team ... my team ... our team.”

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Huge credit to Northern Ireland for the way they battled. It wasn’t entirely surprising that they ran out of steam a bit in the last half an hour, because they gave it everything.

Full time! England 4-0 Northern Ireland

Job done for England. The visitors fought so hard for an hour, but Sarina Wiegman’s substitutions allowed Beth Mead to notch a hat-trick off the bench, while another substitution, Beth England, grabbed the other goal. England are three wins from three, having scored 22 goals, and not conceded one. England top the group on goal difference. Austria have also won three from three, with 18 goals scored and one conceded.

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90 min: Hemp steams into the penalty area from the left. She crosses, where McFadden tries to clear for Northern Ireland, but the ball cannons off Vance, and Burns has to save. It’s all academic now anyway.

88 min: Burns, who has had an excellent game in the Northern Ireland goal even though she’s conceded four, claims a cross confidently.

84 min: Lucy Staniforth and Lotte Wubben-Moy on for England with Greenwood and Kirby off. Kerry Beattie and Emily Wilson on for Wade and Callaghan for Northern Ireland.

Goal! 77 min: England 4-0 Northern Ireland (Mead)

Toone slides in a good through pass into the penalty area. Beth England goes for it, it’s blocked by the goalie in a 50-50, but Mead calmly follows up and scores into the unguarded goal. A hat-trick, off the bench, for the Arsenal forward! Tremendous effort.

Bethany Mead slots the ball home for her hat-trick and England’s fourth. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters
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Goal! 73 min: England 3-0 Northern Ireland (Mead)

Hemp, who has been a constant threat, produces a lovely deep cross curled to the far post. Mead’s technique, meeting the ball on the volley, is absolutely exemplary. She gets right over the top of the ball and belts it low, right-footed. The ball beats the keeper at the near post and flashes into the back of the net, but there is no blame on Burns there, such was the accuracy and power on the finish. Great goal. After a gargantuan defensive effort, Northern Ireland are running out of steam a bit here, which is entirely understandable. They have given England a real test.

Beth Mead thumps the ball past northern Ireland keeper Jacqueline Burns. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/UEFA/Getty Images
Mead celebrates after scoring her second, and England’s third goal. Photograph: John Walton/PA
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Goal! 72 min: England 2-0 Northern Ireland (England)

Hemp crosses from the left. England volleys in at the far post. Was it going in anyway? Was it already in? Some debate who will be credited with the goal. But anyway, England lead 2-0.

Bethany England watches the ball ... Photograph: Lynne Cameron/The FA/Getty Images
Then sticks the ball into the net. Photograph: Naomi Baker/The FA/Getty Images
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66 min: Mead floats an excellent cross to the far post, causing more panic in the visiting defence. Toone then has a sniff of goal near the edge of the box, but the ball squirts away from her. Nice shots on TV of both sets of fans, who are clearly having a very enjoyable night, regardless of result.

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Goal! 64 min: England 1-0 Northern Ireland (Mead)

Instant impact. A half-cleared corner sees Mead, who has literally just come off the bench, swivelling and half-volleying into the net from about eight yards out. England lead, finally, after so many missed chances! McGuinness on, Hamilton off for Northern Ireland. The visitors’ resistance is finally broken.

An acrobatic finish from Beth Mead gives England the lead. Photograph: Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images
Then celebrates her goal with her teammates. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters
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62 min: Burns makes a brilliant low save at the near post from Hemp! So close for England! Beth Mead and Beth England on for England. Daly and Parris off.

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53 min: Shiels, the Northern Ireland coach, issues instructions from the touchline. Parris does well to buy a yard of space on the right, and curls a fine cross over to the far post. Burns in goal looks hesitant to try and claim a ball that looks there for the taking, but eventually manages to bat it away. It’s still goalless. It’s still frustrating for England, but despite the lack of goals this is become more and more interesting from a tactical point of view.

48 min: Northern Ireland surge down to the other end via the left flank, and Wade crosses low to the far post. Kirby gets a faint touch on it, which takes it away from the on-rushing Hamilton. Close for Northern Ireland!

47 min: Walsh dances past a couple of challenges early doors. Another effort from England flashes wide of the target. More of the same, so far. Is it going to be one of those nights for England?

Half-time! England 0-0 Northern Ireland

There is time for another effort from England, by Kirby, to be blocked by Nelson at point-blank range right at the end! Frustration for the hosts, and a moral victory for Northern Ireland to have made it to the break without conceding. Hats off to them. See you in a few minutes for more.

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42 min: I’m in awe of this defensive display by Northern Ireland so far. It’s like watching Internazionale in those heady days under José Mourinho. They’ve all worked so hard and are nearly to the break all square ... England, of course, will be frustrated and have been denied by the woodwork a couple of times. But take nothing away from the effort and organisation of the visitors up until this point.

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38 min: Burns, the NI goalie, has gone down injured and needs treatment. England were in possession at the time, but the ref stopped it.

36 min: Now White heads just wide from close range at the far post! “You start to wonder, you really do,” says Seb Hutchinson on commentary. He’s thinking: Is it going to be one of those nights?

34 min: The ball drops to Toone on the edge of the box. It looks begging to be hit, but she chooses to try and find a teammate with a diagonal pass instead. Soon after, England have another corner, and Bright flicks it over the crossbar. It’s still 0-0! This is such a gutsy display by Northern Ireland so far. Every individual has done their job, and even if England are creating chances with regularity, the last line of defending has been outstanding.

32 min: Greenwood cracks a stunning 25-yard shot which smacks off the woodwork and out! Is it going to be one of those nights for England?

England’s Alex Greenwood thumps a shot goalwards but is denied by the woodwork. Photograph: John Walton/PA
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30 min: Greenwood curls in a fine cross after a corner is repelled. Williamson flicks a header towards the far post. It flashes wide. Parris might have hoped to anticipate that and tapped it in, as she was lurking at the far post. Anyway, it’s still 0-0, but England have had 95% of possession. It won’t be long before the commentator asks: “Is it going to be one of those nights for England?”

England’s Nikita Parris reacts as she can’t reach a Leah Williamson header that goes wide of the far post. Photograph: John Walton/PA
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27 min: From a corner, Williamson crashes a header towards goal which is on target and flying in, but Burns beats it out! And makes another save immediately after! More cracking defending, more frustration for England.

Jacqueline Burns of Northern Ireland saves as Ellen White lurks but is unable to turn the ball in the net. Photograph: Henry Browne/Getty Images
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24 min: England attack again – and again it’s Parris, this time on the left, who gets to the byline and tries to clip a cross into the danger zone. Again it’s blocked. England stay on the front foot, and Williamson eventually bends a side-footed shot just wide! This is a pleasingly committed defensive performance from Northern Ireland so far.

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21 min: Furness fouls Parris, who is full of running, in midfield. From the resulting free-kick, Parris curls a cross to Bright, unmarked at the far post, but she heads over.

18 min: England have a corner. Williamson wins the initial header. White, and the visiting goalie, Burns, both try and win it at the far post. They both end up on the turf, but they are OK. From the resulting goal kick, Burns kicks it straight to White, just outside the penalty area, and White returns the favour by shooting straight at Burns, who makes a save.

17 min: England’s passing continues to be crisp. But Northern Ireland’s defending continues to be committed and organised.

15 min: Greenwood brings the ball out of defence for England. She finds Williamson in midfield, on the England left. Williamson slides a pass to Hemp, who cuts infield, roars into the penalty area, and smashes a powerful left-footed shot goalwards ... but it cannons off the underside of the crossbar and out! So close.

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12 min: Parris now tries to slide a pass to Toone, but it’s blocked. Toone pops up immediately on the edge of the box, and tries to play a cultured ball into White, but it’s cleared again. All hands on deck for Northern Ireland.

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9 min: Parris darts to the byline on the right, after the visitors try to play out from the back but lose the ball. England attack in waves, and the ball nearly drops for White just a few yards from goal, but a good block by a Northern Ireland defender keeps her attempted finish out. This has all the look of a training run for England at the moment, Northern Ireland just can’t get out, but they are defending well.

7 min: Toone, playing on the left of England’s front three, makes a dangerous burst in the Northern Ireland penalty area. It’s all England, who look stronger, fitter and far more composed on the ball in the early exchanges.

4 min: England attack again, down the left wing, and then win a corner which is taken from the right. Northern Ireland are under a lot of pressure straight away. But they are holding firm for now. Again, there is a good run from Parris down the middle, trying to get on the end of a low through ball, but the visiting goalie Burns manages to flop on the ball.

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2 min: To start with, the visitors spend a little bit of time in England’s half. But as soon as England win possession, they stream forward, and Parris is nearly sprinting through on goal in a central area. However, some composed defending by Burrows snuffs out the danger.

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First half kick-off!

Ellen White kicks off for England. Here we go on a historic night at Wembley!

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The teams are lining up in the tunnel.

“Second balls, that’s the main thing, winning the second balls,” says Ian Wright on pundit duty.

“I think England are going to dominate possession. Northern Ireland are going to need to be disciplined,” adds Eni Aluko.

The Northern Ireland manager, Kenny Shiels, speaks to ITV and is asked why Kirsty McGuinness isn’t starting: “We have to put in a team that is going to play part of the game today, and the full game on Tuesday ... that’s the category she falls into.”

And regarding the injuries to the WSL players, Simone McGill and Rebecca Holloway: “It’s a big shortfall for us ... they’re two very good players ... we can’t avail of them because of injury.”

Does he think they will relish playing at this stadium? “I hope so ... they feel confident they can do something here.”

Sarina Wiegman speaks to ITV: “Everyone’s fit, we have the whole squad, so that’s very nice to have things to choose ... today it’s this, but it [the starting lineup] is not set in stone for the upcoming matches.

“It’s very exciting [to be involved in England Women’s first competitive match at Wembley] ... I feel the squad is very excited too ... we just can’t wait to start.”

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In a pre-recorded feature on ITV, Ellen White is asked to describe Sarina Wiegman in one word. “Lovely,” she says. White is three goals away from equalling Kelly Smith’s all-time England women’s scoring record.

The England captain Leah Williamson speaks to ITV: “Definitely the biggest day I’ve had in football ... it’ll be a great day for me and my family ... It’s my proudest moment in a football shirt.

“It’s going to be a tougher game, maybe ... they play out nice, they play nice football, so we’ll have to be on it today, for sure.”

Today is Williamson’s third match as captain.

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Team news

The hosts are unchanged from the 10-0 win against Luxembourg. The captain Williamson lines up in central midfield.

England (4-3-3): Earps; Daly, Bright, Greenwood, Stokes; Kirby, Williamson, Toone; Hemp, White, Parris. Substitutes: MacIver, Hampton, Charles, Walsh, Stanway, Wubben-Moy, Mead, Staniforth, England, Scott, Russo, Carter.

🚨 Here it is...

Your #Lionesses starting today at Wembley! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QrJOQ7APCr

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 23, 2021

Northern Ireland (4-4-2): Burns; McKenna, Nelson, McFadden, Vance; Burrows, Hamilton, McCarron, Callaghan; Wade; Furness. Substitutes: McLaren, McGuinness, Flaherty, Caldwell, Rafferty, McDaniel, Wilson, Andrews, Beattie, Watling, Harvey-Clifford.

Northern Ireland players take a selfie on the Wembley pitch. Photograph: Presseye/INPHO/Shutterstock
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Preamble

So far, so dominant for Sarina Wiegman’s England in World Cup qualifying Group D: Played two, won two, goals scored 18, goals conceded zero. It has been one-sided stuff until now as England set out on the road to the 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand. This evening’s match against Northern Ireland promises to be a test, though, because the visitors also have two wins from two, albeit having scored 10 fewer goals. Things certainly won’t be as easy for Wiegman’s players tonight as they were in the victories against North Macedonia and Luxembourg.

The most recent meeting between these sides was a 6-0 friendly victory for England in February but the Northern Ireland manager, Kenny Shiels, insists his players will hold no fear of facing the Lionesses on their home turf at Wembley. A victory for either side will see them draw level on nine points in Group D alongside table-topping Austria, who have mustered three wins out of three.

Leah Williamson will captain England tonight and away against Latvia on Tuesday, and she will therefore presumably take the lead in the gesture of solidarity which has been planned by both teams following recent allegations of sexual misconduct in the US National Women’s Soccer League. Kick-off is at 5.15pm – team news, pre-match reading and more is coming up.

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