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Harry Kane produced one of the best passes of his career to spark an England bloodbath against Ireland, sending the Three Lions back to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League in style with a bruising 5-0 win on Sunday.
England had no shots on target in a dire first half and were a tad fortunate not to concede a penalty for a shirt pull by Marc Guehi on Evan Ferguson. The visitors also had a half-hearted appeal when Kyle Walker collided with Sammie Szmodics, and England trudged off for half-time with their automatic promotion hopes hanging in the balance, at the mercy of Greece’s scoreline with Finland.
After the break, however, everything fell into place in a whirlwind five minutes: Kane’s gorgeous pass released Jude Bellingham and he was tripped by Liam Scales, who was sent off in the process for a second yellow card. The captain coolly slotted his penalty, and less than two minutes later, Anthony Gordon volleyed home following a corner. Conor Gallagher then bundled in the third after jumping ahead of Bellingham in the queue to meet a knockdown.
Substitutes Jarrod Bowen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis added extra shine to a satisfying win by scoring their first international goals late on.
GOAL rates England’s players from Wembley Stadium…
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Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence
Jordan Pickford (5/10):
Enjoyed a quiet and comfortable evening as he drew level with the legendary Gordon Banks on 73 caps.
Tino Livramento (6/10)
A pleasing debut. Made a couple of sloppy passes but was always positive and helped set up Gordon’s goal.
Kyle Walker (5/10):
Looked more comfortable at centre-back than in recent games at full-back. Not far from scoring when he headed over the bar from a corner.
Marc Guehi (6/10):
A bit lucky not to give away a penalty. Other than that he was sound defensively and got the knock-on for Gallagher’s goal.
Lewis Hall (6/10):
Busy in both halves of the pitch. Made an important recovery run after Livramento gave the ball away.
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AFPMidfield
Curtis Jones (6/10):
Not as dominant as on his debut but again demonstrated his confidence on the ball, weaving past three Ireland players on one occasion.
Conor Gallagher (7/10):
Typically aggressive throughout the game and was rewarded with his first international goal.
Jude Bellingham (8/10):
A busy performance, running rule over the midfield. Won the penalty and set up Harwood-Bellis with a pinged cross.
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Getty Images SportAttack
Noni Madueke (7/10):
Twisted Ireland inside out down their left side.
Harry Kane (8/10):
Had a frustrating first half, summed up by his booking for pushing over Molumby. At his best after the break, dropping deep and hitting Bellingham with delicious passes that led to his penalty.
Anthony Gordon (7/10):
Got more involved as the game progressed and scored his first international goal with an instinctive volley.
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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (7/10):
A dream international debut, scoring in front of his future father-in-law, Roy Keane.
Morgan Rogers (5/10):
Didn’t have much time to make his mark.
Jarrod Bowen (7/10):
Scored within a few seconds of coming on with a lovely finish.
Dominic Solanke (5/10):
Will be disappointed not to have gotten involved in the goal rush.
Angel Gomes (5/10):
Moved ball around well, but picked up a booking in 11 minutes on the pitch.
Lee Carsley (7/10):
Overcame a stodgy first 45 minutes and his changes helped turn a good win into a superb one. Can be pleased overall with his six-game stint as interim boss.
