SAN FRANCISCO, November 13, (THEWILL) –Â England prepared for their upcoming Nations League double-header by cruising to a 3-0 international friendly win over the Republic of Ireland at Wembley on Thursday.
Ireland had never won on these grounds and any hopes the visitors may have had of earning their first-ever Wembley victory were put to rest when Sheffield United defender John Egan was forced off early on after taking a serious bang to the head.
The Irish infiltrated the English area with a couple of dangerous low crosses but England hit the front from a corner that resulted from West Ham keeper Darren Randolph saving smartly from Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka following an initial poor punch.
Centre defensive midfielder Harry Winks picked up the first clearance and produced a telling cross for United’s Harry Maguire to power home a header for the first goal.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the centre forward for Everton, then went close at the end of a slick move and Randolph saved from Maguire before the lively Aston Villa winger Jack Grealish fed right winger Jadon Sancho a creative pass. The Borussia Dortmund youngster lashed home England’s second nutmegging Jeff Hendrick along the way.
There was more of that in the second half, with England pressing Ireland high before Saka was tripped in the box by Cyrus Christie, Nottingham Forest right back, in the 55th minute.
Calvert-Lewin stepped up and made no mistake from the spot. The Everton striker hammered the ball into the top corner for the second goal of his blossoming international career.
With the hosts in cruise control late on, Southgate introduced Borussia Dortmund midfielder, Jude Bellingham, from the bench, making him the third-youngest England player of all-time.
This international friendly gave Southgate the opportunity to see fringe players stepping up in the absence of key squad members and the manager will be facing a very welcome headache of selection choices going forward.
England next clash with Belgium for their first Nations League fixture on Sunday, November 15 while Ireland’s next outing in the same competition sees them face Wales away from home on the same day.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
