WHAT A NIGHT FOR ENGLAND LAST NIGHT, WHERE THEY SMASHED IRELAND IN A FIVE-GOAL-THRILLER! IRELAND PLAYED WELL IN THE FIRST-HALF, AND WERE SEEMINGLY VERY WELL-ORGANISED, AND QUITE TOUGH FOR ENGLAND TO BREAK DOWN, AND INDEED, IT WAS STILL 0 – 0 AT HALF-TIME! BUT IN THE SECOND-HALF AT 51 MINS. IRELAND’S LIAM SCALES’ SECOND YELLOW CARD CAUGHT UP WITH HIM AFTER AN OBVIOUS FOUL ON JUDE BELLINGHAM, AND HE WAS RED-CARDED AND SENT OFF. (BY THE LOOK ON THE REF’S FACE, HE DIDN’T RELISH DOING IT!) CUE A POLISHED PENALTY FROM HARRY KANE FROM THE SPOT, WHO, WITH A LITTLE “SOFT-SHOE SHUFFLE” MANAGED TO SEND IRELAND’S CAOIMHIN KELLEHER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, HITTING THE BACK OF THE NET EASILY, AS IS HIS WANT, FROM SUCH A DISTANCE.
HARRY KANE CELEBRATES AFTER SCORING THE FIRST GOAL FOR ENGLAND
FROM THEN ON, IT WAS A REGULAR ENGLAND ‘GOALATHON’ – WITH THE IRISH SQUAD, NOW DOWN TO 10 MEN, UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE SPIRITED MOMENTUM THAT THE ENGLAND TEAM HAD NOW MUSTERED FROM THEIR CAPTAIN.
ANTHONY GORDON SCORED A CRACKER NEXT AT 55 MINUTES,
CONOR GALLAGHER ANOTHER AT 68 MINUTES,
