Kirby’s goal opened the floodgates for the Lionesses to overcome Northern Ireland 5-0 in their final Group A game to maintain a perfect start to their Euro campaign. England’s smooth run through the group stage was hit a bit of a gear with the announcement earlier in the day that their manager, Sarina Wiegman, had tested positive for Covid and would remain at the team’s west London base. The 52-year-old’s assistant, Arjan Veurink, who came from Holland with her, led the team at St Mary’s. He said before kickoff that the impact would be minimal, that Wiegman was “doing well” and that he and the rest of the staff would be in contact during the game. “It’s not here, but it will be,” he said. If ever there was a time for England to lose their manager, this might be it. There was nothing to build on the momentum of the scoreline and, given the five-day gap between the final group game and the team’s quarter-final in Brighton, the impact is likely to be minimal. With England having topped the group and Northern Ireland already confirmed to be out of their first major international tournament, there was a festive atmosphere in Southampton – one that the large group of fans in green were keen to share. see the start of the event. Many expected a high scoring game. England have played Northern Ireland three times in the last 18 months, with the Euro hosts winning 6-0, 4-0 and 5-0. However, it was always unlikely to be as big a margin as England’s 8-0 win against Norway on Monday night. Northern Ireland, who are the lowest-ranked team in the competition with 47, know that attack is not the best form of defense and dropped bodies in front of the ball. Fran Kirby scores the opening goal at St Mary’s. Photo: John Sibley/Reuters It worked, and there was even a chance for the Euro Minnows to score in the first minute when Lauren Wade forced Mary Earps into a save. From the second minute onwards it was a one-way affair, with England enjoying the vast majority of possession and completing just 239 passes to Northern Ireland’s 40 in the first half. It was inevitable, then, that the goals would come. After banging on the door, including being denied a penalty after a VAR review ruled Beth Mead had handled before Laura Rafferty’s handball, England finally broke through in the 41st minute. Moments after Kirby had unselfishly set up Georgia Stanway only for the Northern Ireland players to block the shot, Kirby collected a loose ball just outside the box and fired it into the top corner. Northern Ireland manager Kenny Shiels was forced to apologize for accusing women of being “more emotional than men” after his side conceded twice in succession in a 5-0 defeat by England in April. She faced a similar scenario here, with Mead doubling England’s lead inside three minutes when she collected a clearance before cutting back Rebecca McKenna, switching to her left foot and firing low past goalkeeper Jacqueline Burns. Alessia Russo, England player profile. The half-time whistle was a short respite. Wiegman had said her momentum was more important in her pre-fight press conference and insisted she wouldn’t be resting her legs. England’s starting XI remained the same as a result. By the break, however, the narrative had changed, with Alessia Russo for Ellen White, Ella Toone replacing Stanway and Alex Greenwood stepping in for Millie Bright. Three minutes after the restart, Russo added a third for England, heading home Mead’s cross. He had a second after a while. Showing she’s as good with her feet as she is with her head, the forward collected Toone’s ball and turned with a touch before firing past Burns for her seventh goal in 10 appearances. The fifth was tight, with substitute defender Kelsie Burrows cutting a looping ball over Burns with her outstretched leg, but there was no goal for Northern Ireland with England pressing with the same intensity as in the first half. England have a four-day break before returning to battle with Group B’s runners-up, likely either Spain or Denmark, and go into it with 14 goals, three clean sheets and the support of a nation quickly awakening in their form with blisters on the ground of the country. Sheils said it best himself, before the game: “I can say it now that we’re out, but they [England] could go on and win the tournament, I think most people feel that way.”
