North Macedonia Women 0 – 10 England

Beth Mead scored four goals and Ella Toone hit a hat-trick as England continued their run of scoring double figures in every qualifying away game with a 10-0 win in North Macedonia.

It took only five minutes for Mead to open the scoring, by which point the Lionesses had already passed by a couple of presentable chances, and they kept up their early intensity by storming into a 3-0 lead inside 25 minutes.

The visitors’ profligacy was all that stopped them adding more to their tally before Ellen White brought up her half-century of England goals – moving back above Harry Kane and into second place in the all-time scoring charts – before Mead added a fifth moments before the break.

If Sarina Wiegman’s one half-time request was for England to be more clinical, her desires were answered as Mead grabbed a quick-fire double, including her hat-trick, inside the first eight minutes of the second period, and Georgia Stanway made it eight soon after.

Another lull followed until Toone, who had grabbed her first before half-time added a quick-fire double to complete a hat-trick of her own 12 minutes from time, the latter a fine finish swept into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

The Lionesses briefly thought they had added an 11th when substitute Nikita Parris nodded home from close range before she was denied by the offside flag, but another stroll to victory was already long over.

More to follow…

What’s next?

England Women resume their World Cup Qualification campaign away in Northern Ireland on Tuesday at 7.55pm.