Mead makes mark as England stroll on

BETH MEAD’S quick-fire secondhalf hat-trick helped England Women make history and seal a first ever win at Wembley.

Sarina Wiegman could hardly have wished for a better start to life as manager. Three wins from three, 22 goals scored and a maiden victory at the home of football.

And it was down to two inspired second-half substitutions that ensured the Lionesses maintained their 100 per cent record in World Cup qualifying with a 4-0 win over Northern Ireland.

‘I’m going to make an agreement every game that we bring in new players and they score three times,’ Wiegman joked.

‘That’s what you need to get to a high level and win matches.

‘I’m a little lucky. They were really ready to go in, that’s what a team needs. When you’re a substitute you have to be ready and that’s absolutely what they showed.’

Wiegman kept the same starting line-up that stuck 10 past Luxembourg last time out but after her team failed to score in the first period, the 51-year-old manager called on Mead and Bethany England — and the pair delivered superbly.

With her first touch of the game Mead broke the deadlock, sending a controlled volley past the visitors’ Jacqueline Burns on the swivel in the 64th minute.

Chelsea’s England got in on the act eight minutes later, tapping home a Lauren Hemp cross when unmarked at the back post.

With that the floodgates opened and Mead smashed home a second before passing the ball into an empty net for her treble and England’s fourth.

The England coaching team and the 23,225 fans were left wondering how the Lionesses were not ahead at the interval. Seventeen shots, 80 per cent possession, yet nothing to show for their dominance.

Wiegman’s side needed patience but also creativity in attack to try to find the smallest of cracks in the Northern Ireland defence.

Wingers Hemp and Nikita Parris offered intelligent runs, with the former rattling the bar with a fierce strike early on. Leah Williamson, captain in place of the injured Steph Houghton, could have had a hat-trick in the first half as she saw several headers go agonisingly close and a strike sail over the bar.

While defender Alex Greenwood took matters into her own hands by launching a thunderous left-footed strike at goal from range, only for it to cannon off the woodwork.

A combination of bad luck, good goalkeeping, last-ditch tackles and poor accuracy meant the visitors headed into the break level.

England — and Mead — made their dominance count, eventually.