Ireland vs England LIVE: Lionesses result and reaction from Euro 2025 qualifier in Dublin

The Independent

·9 April 2024

Ireland vs England LIVE: Lionesses result and reaction from Euro 2025 qualifier in Dublin

Sarina Wiegman says Leah Williamson is 'excited' to come back ahead of Euro 2025 qualifier against Sweden

England overcame a gusty performance from the Republic of Ireland to secure their first win in qualifying for the 2025 Women’s Euros.

OneFootball Videos

First half goals from Lauren James, firing home a bouncing ball, and Alex Greenwood, who converted from the penalty spot, proved enough for the Lionesses in Dublin. Greenwood, deputising from 12 yards with Georgia Stanway on the bench, struck the post with a second penalty shortly after scoring as England threatened to turn the encounter into a rout.

But Ireland rallied after the interval and threatened to launch a comeback in front of a strong home crowd at the Aviva Stadium, producing a flurry of late chances. The hosts lacked, however, the quality to consistently test Hannah Hampton in the England goal, with Eileen Gleeson’s side suffering a second consecutive defeat after a similarly battling performance against France last week.

France top a tough group after beating Sweden in their second fixture, but England and Wiegman will be encouraged by an improved performance after a flat opener at Wembley.

Leah Williamson, who made her first start in more than a year. The 27-year-old had not featured for the Lionesses since suffering an ACL injury in April 2023, which forced her to miss last summer’s World Cup, but produced a typically commanding and calm performance alongside Greenwood.

1712696109Sarina Wiegman speaks to ITV“Hard game, we totally dominated the first half, we could have been up 4-0. But later on in the game, they were more opportune than in the first half. They came to fight and we wanted to stay out of the fight. We had to show lots more than being really tight in possession.“This game was totally different to Sweden. I think in the first half we had moments where we played really well, but sometimes we were a bit too loose on the ball, They got a bit of momentum because of their subs. In the end, we just kept them there. I just hope we can manage the game a little better.”Harry Latham-Coyle9 April 2024 21:551712695461And Ireland captain Katie McCabe also has a chat with the broadcaster“The first half it felt like we were too passive at times, we gave them a lot of space in central areas,” McCabe says to ITV. “We tweaked a few things and needed to push on. I’m proud of how we applied ourselves in the second half.“I haven’t seen the penno back but it’s frustrating. They are avoidable goals. But we created a few chances towards the end - unfortunately they didn’t go in.“We’ll be looking and reviewing post-game. Going forwards, especially in transitions, we need to be better on the ball and more dangerous. There’s four games left and we know we’ve got quality and strengths. We saw that towards the end of the second half, but England showed their experience. We won’t be dropping our heads.”Harry Latham-Coyle9 April 2024 21:44

1712694877

Leah Williamson reacts to England’s win on ITV

“The most important thing was three points. We would have liked it to have been a bit more convincing but it was a good finish to hold out. I just really, really love playing for England. When I put this badge on, I feel ten times taller. I loved every second of that.

“I had my eyes set on this. I wanted to be good enough to play for England again - the standards are so high and the players who have been here have made them higher. Hopefully I’ll keep getting stronger.

“It says a lot about our standards that we thought Sweden was a set-back. I’m very, very happy with the three points.”

Harry Latham-Coyle9 April 2024 21:34

1712694088

Harry Latham-Coyle9 April 2024 21:21