The stage was set for Ellen White but it was Fran Kirby who stole the show, Chelsea’s little magician dispelling memories of a wretched season with another crucial intervention as England finished the Euro 2022 group stages on a high.
Bedevilled by fatigue Kirby had not started a match since February when Sarina Wiegman picked the squad for this tournament. If her inclusion looked a risk, it has paid off.
Kirby it was who ended 40 minutes of resistance by an obdurate, well-drilled Northern Ireland side with a moment of sheer quality. After that the floodgates opened and the goals poured in.
But there was no goal for White, who remains one short of triggering the trolls by equalling Wayne Rooney’s 53-goal England scoring record.
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With England already qualified and Northern Ireland out this was a dead rubber. But if the result lacked consequence there were plenty of sub-plots.
Chief among these was whether White would break Rooney’s record, an opportunity provided by Wiegman’s unexpected decision to name the same XI for the third match in three.
The England coach had stressed she wanted to maintain continuity, stating, ‘
I believe in rhythm’. Nevertheless, picking another unchanged team ran the risk of discontent in the reserve ranks, and a lack of match sharpness were any of them needed in the knockout stages.
The likelihood of that was underlined by the coach’s own absence with Covid-19. Following Lotte Wubben-Moy, she was the second member of the England party to be infected. With the FA – following Uefa protocol – only testing symptomatic cases it was eminently possible other players have the virus and, in time, some would show it.
Northern Ireland made one change, a tactical one, Southampton’s Laura Rafferty coming to pick up her former Chelsea team-mate Kirby in front of a back five. Kenny Shiels is already looking to the 2025 Euros but had decided throwing in youngsters ‘could have an adverse effect on their career’.
The Northern Ireland coach had reason to be cautious. His team had played England three times in the preceding 18 months losing 6-0, 4-0 and 5-0.
While assistant Arjan Veurink was in the dug-out Wiegman was back at England’s Thames-side base, watching on television, mobile phone in hand.
She might have been tempted to swap it for the remote to check she was on the right channel as the first action featured the green-shirted Lauren Wade bearing down on goal before bringing a smart save from Mary Earps.
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This was not the only opening created by a visiting side well set-up. With White, Kirby and the wingers all tightly marked, and wide forwards Wade and Kirsty McGuinness a threat, Northern Ireland posed enough questions for Wiegman to fill a page of notes.
England had chances. VAR overturned an early penalty, White rolled a shot wide, Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright headed wide, Rebecca Holloway blocked a Georgia Stanway shot on the line.
As frustration grew a loose ball fell to Kirby on the edge of the area. She looked up, picked her spot, and curled a precise shot into it. It was only her third England goal since the 2019 World Cup, such have been her problems with illness and injury, and it was celebrated joyously.
Four minutes later Mead scored her fourth of the tournament, again from the edge of the box, and Northern Ireland were broken.
Russo, on for White as Wiegman rang the changes, again impressed. Leading the line powerfully she headed in Mead’s cross then converted Ella Toone’s pass, underlining an attacking depth that could take England far.
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