England 5-0 Northern Ireland (Kirby ’40, Mead ’44, Russo ’48 ’53, Burrows OG ’76)
ST MARY’S — Five days can feel a long time for a team labelled Euro 2022 champions-elect.
That is the gap that passed between England’s historic victory over Norway and their group finale against Northern Ireland – and had Fran Kirby not stepped in with the clock ticking towards half-time, some of the old doubts about the Lionesses’ abilities to break down teams like Kenny Shiels’ resilient outfit might have started to creep in.
Kirby could have lashed at it, loitering on the edge of the box as it fell onto her right foot. Instead, the Chelsea forward picked her spot and placed the ball neatly into the top right. It was little wonder she had resorted to speculation. Just moments before, she had wrestled her way through and sent an inviting pass across the face of goal; one that couldn’t reach Ellen White before it had been thudded away by Rebecca Holloway in Shiels’ well organised back five.
Sarina Wiegman was absent after a positive Covid test, but her message – delivered to her players remotely – will not have changed. The Dutch coach is all about rhythm and possession, shown in abundance as Beth Mead took a touch, brought it onto her left foot and watched it dribble into the bottom corner.
So a 2-0 deficit at half-time might have been harsh on Northern Ireland, but for England it was illuminating. They will rarely have things their own way to the extent they did against Norway and they will be met with more resistance further in the quarter-finals and beyond. If they play Spain, La Roja have shown a tendency to open up, but it is possibly a small mercy that they are not up against Germany in the last eight, who it is demonstrably difficult to cut through.
From Millie Bright’s long balls up the pitch to England’s penalty appeal for a handball by Laura Rafferty – given initially, but overturned when it became clear Mead had handled in the build-up – England are finding new ways to wear their opponents down. Their options off the bench is often where the gulf between them and their opponents really begins to tell, and they once again showed their depth with Alessia Russo’s headed goal almost immediately after her introduction.
It does not always have to be pretty – though for Russo’s second, preceded by a brilliant turn and drag-back, it was exquisite.
Rebecca McKenna ensured England were made to work at first, putting her body on the line to shut down Mead, and there was a moment of confusion when both White and Mead went for Kirby’s ball over the top. But Shiels must take credit too. It is a pity the fifth was sealed with a calamitous own goal from Kelsie Burrows.
Nobody expected Northern Ireland to hold out for as long as they did, but they kept a clean sheet for an hour in October’s 4-0 friendly defeat to England. Glamour football, it is not, but the deeper they sat at St Mary’s, the more likely the hosts were to panic. At times, it was only Rachel Furness’ past life as a forward that meant the Northern Ireland midfielder was the only player in England’s half, with the rest of her team-mates sat back behind the ball.
England have no right to feel sore about that. After the statement made against Norway, they had no real incentive in what was essentially a meaningless final match in Group A. Yet Wiegman’s great entertainers have ensured that even without their figurehead, just how high they can set the bar suddenly matters a great deal.
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