Read our match report, as Phil Neville’s England seal their ticket to next summer’s World Cup in France:
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Phil Neville, the England manager, speaks. “I thought we showed our class in the second half, I thought we showed that we are a top, top team and I’m looking forward to the next 12 months now. For 30 minutes, I thought we controlled and then we started to switch off. At half-time, I told them to relax, enjoy it. I have to say their goalkeeper was unbelievable, she caught every single cross.” That latter comment is surely tongue-in-cheek, with all due respect to Laura O’Sullivan, who was nervy in goal for Wales.
Jayne Ludlow, the Wales manager, talks. “We weren’t good enough,” she says. “We weren’t good enough over 90 minutes. Tonight we saw glimpses of our next stage, we still have a lot of work to do. Simple errors cost us.”
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Toni Duggan, who opened the scoring for England in Newport, talks. “We have got our flight booked now, so we are really looking forward to it,” she says. “It is always difficult against Wales, but we knew if we stuck to the game plan then we knew goals were always going to come.”
Full-time: Wales 0-3 England
England are going to the World Cup! Three goals in 12 second-half minutes, from Toni Duggan, Jill Scott and Nikita Parris, secure a routine victory for Phil Neville’s side in the end. England qualify automatically for next summer’s tournament – their fourth consecutive World Cup – in France. For Wales, they looked absolutely floored, summed up by Harding, substituted a moment ago. She’s inconsolable. Jayne Ludlow’s side must await their fate, as to whether they will indeed reach the play-offs.
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89 min: Natasha Harding’s replaced by Ffion Morgan. As Harding trudges into the dugout, she wipes away a few tears, clearly emotional with things not looking quite so rosy for Wales and their hopes of reaching next summer’s World Cup. As for England, they’ve done it.
88 min: Jordan Nobbs wins England a corner. Can they make it four? Well, not yet, as Millie Bright nods wide.
86 min: Kirby limps off and she looks OK. That’s hopefully good news for both Chelsea and England.
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85 min: Fran Kirby drags the ball back in the box and rolls her ankle. She’s taken out by a Wales defender, and that should have been an England penalty. Rachel Daly will replace the talented Chelsea forward.
84 min: “Surely the ice cream will be flowing in the England dressing room tonight,” emails Peter. Indeed, Mr Neville’s going to live that one down.
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83 min: Jill Scott is given a breather, with Keira Walsh introduced for England. It’s job done for Phil Neville and co.
82 min: Fishlock does brilliantly, surging into the box and Bronze hacks the ball away for a corner. Wales swing it in but they fail to get it beyond the front post.
81 min: England skirt around the edge of the box, with Parris eventually shooting at goal, but it’s wide.
79 min: Duggan does brilliant to keep the ball in play, with O’Sullivan, the Wales goalkeeper, biting away at the England striker’s ankles after going to ground. She tries to hook the ball back in but it’s cut out by Ingle. Meanwhile, Ryan Giggs is among those in the crowd at Rodney Parade.
77 min: A sniff of goal for Wales but substitute Elise Hughes’s shot is blocked by Houghton. England, three to the good, have sapped the life out of the hosts.
76 min: Taylor is replaced by Christiansen.
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75 min: Izzy Christiansen is being readied, with the Lyon midfielder about to come off the bench for England.
74 min: Duggan bamboozles Roberts to sneak into the box but just as she looks to pass the ball on, the England forward gifts it back to Wales. That earns Wales a little respite.
72 min: Wales have made a couple of changes. Elise Hughes has replaced Kylie Nolan, while Vincze is on for Ward.
70 min: England are surely heading to France now. As it stands, Phil Neville’s side are heading top of Group A.
GOAL! Wales 0-3 England (Parris, 69)
Dreamland. As O’Sullivan spills Greenwood’s free-kick, there’s Jodie Taylor to nudge the ball across goal, where Nikita Parris is ready to tap home. That was so easy.
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66 min: Duggan floats a deep free-kick towards the back post and O’Sullivan flaps at it. The Wales goalkeeper has had a testing evening. Houghton is ready to meet the ball at the back stick but she cannot force it goalwards.
65 min: Sophie Ingle makes a fairly robust challenge on Nikita Parris and Wales have more defending to do.
64 min: It’s played short, but a simple ball into the box causes a defensive headache for Wales. England recycle the ball again and Duggan powers an effort at goal. In the end, it’s a pretty straightforward save for O’Sullivan, but England are really enjoying themselves out there now.
63 min: Nikita Parris has been a real torment for the Wales back line, this time she scoots around Ladd on the byline. And England win another corner ...
62 min: Helen Ward glances a half-chance of a header off target. England are in cruise control, beginning to carve open Wales time in again. Jodie Taylor’s having a field day.
61 min: It’s a brilliant header by Jill Scott, flicking Lucy Bronze’s clever dink into the box beyond O’Sullivan. She was quite a way out from goal, but sent her looping header flying into the net. England are in dreamland and, at this rate, they will book their place at the World Cup in France next summer.
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GOAL! Wales 0-2 England (Scott, 60)
Jill Scott doubles England’s lead in Newport.
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59 min: Steph Houghton, the England captain, steps up to take it and Laura O’Sullivan gets a strong right hand to save the ball from dipping into the bottom corner. Wales look a little shell-shocked and England are really in their stride now.
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58 min: And now England have a free-kick, 20 yards from goal, with Alex Greenwood and Houghton stood over it.
GOAL! Wales 0-1 England (Duggan, 57)
Toni Duggan slots home! The Barcelona forward profits after some quick-thinking by Fran Kirby in the box. Nobbs sweeped a devious first-time cross from the right, with O’Sullivan superbly denying Jodie Taylor. But when the ball dropped to Kirby, she unselfishly spread the ball out to Duggan, who fires home emphatically.
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55 min: Nobbs shoots over after England recycled possession. Parris did well down the right, recovering from a fair but meaty challenge by Natasha Harding. Wales played themselves into trouble, with Ingle slicing a clearance straight into the England forward’s path. England are asking questions of Wales.
53 min: Nobbs floats a ball into the box but it’s all a little predictable for Wales to deal with. O’Sullivan collects.
52 min: Attendance at Rodney Parade? 5,053.
49 min: Kirby dinks the ball into Jordan Nobbs, who flicks a header goalwards but it’s too easy for O’Sullivan to gather. Wales look to break through Nolan, after good work by Harding. And now Steph Houghton looks to rebuild for England, switching the ball from right to left.
48 min: England look to play a clever corner, with Greenwood meeting the ball on the edge of the box. But her effort is wayward and that’s that. Wales pump it back upfield but it just keeps coming back at them. England win a corner.
47 min: Another chance for England, and another Wales error. That was a decent ball in, but there was just nobody there to tap home, given O’Sullivan had flown out of goal.
46 min: England get us back under way, with Alex Greenwood making an early surge down the left. She drifts infield, winning an early free-kick. It’s an inviting ball in, but Scott cannot latch on to the ball. O’Sullivan – again – comes rushing out of goal and is nowhere near the ball.
Up at Elland Road, it’s 0-0 between Leeds and Middlesbrough at the interval. If you fancy dipping into the transfer market before the second half, look here:
Tom Jones’s Delilah is ringing around Rodney Parade at half-time. Lovely stuff. England dominated that first half, really, but both teams have had just the two shots on target.
Half-time: Wales 0-0 England
They head down the tunnel goalless. But England should be ahead, in truth, with Nikita Parris’s goal after six minutes wrongly disallowed for offside.
43 min: Duggan tries to catch out O’Sullivan, but the Wales goalkeeper nips back towards her near post to make a routine stop in the end. Meanwhile, Jonathan Pearce is talking about the Brecon Beacons on BBC 2.
40 min: Greenwood rips down the left flank once more, curling in a devious ball. Again, O’Sullivan tries to rush out and claim it. She makes a mess of it but Wales get off the hook. England are probing, with Greenwood, now of Manchester United, proving really influential from left-back. And now Parris wins a free-kick.
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39 min: England hoof clear a Wales corner, but it keeps coming back at them. Fishlock makes a smart recovering header to maintain the pressure on the visitors.
38 min: O’Sullivan, the Wales goalkeeper, almost runs into trouble again. England get the ball into the box and with two defenders ushering it towards her, O’Sullivan gets in a muddle. A communication mix-up almost allows England in with Taylor lurking, but Wales get away with it.
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36 min: Wales want a penalty .. but it’s not given! Green flies into the box to seize the ball, but there’s Bardsley to meet her. The England goalkeeper gets a glove on the ball before catching the Wales forward, and the referee’s having none of it. A crucial touch by Bardsley to get something on that.
35 min: Taylor’s over in the box, but any half-hearted penalty appeals are just that. Neville’s unmoved.
34 min: Fishlock and Green combine, but Karen Bardsley collects. Wales have shown glimpses of their quality.
32 min: It’s 11 hours and counting since Wales last conceded a goal. And right on cue, Ladd makes a brilliant interception as Jodie Taylor looks to pull the trigger. The ball was played in by Jill Scott, who nutmegged Ingle on the byline. A lovely little move, though she clouted the Wales defender with her trailing arm before pulling the ball back.
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31 min: Wales make another foray into the England half and Bronze’s error almost tees up a half-chance for Helen Ward. She shoots at goal but Bardsley saves. It comes to nothing and England bomb forward to win a corner themselves.
30 min: Just as England are bossing things inside the Wales half, Fran Kirby is adjudged to have fouled Green.
29 min: Wales break for a moment, with Harding flying down the left but Parris does brilliantly defensively to stop the Wales winger in her tracks. On the touchline, Jayne Ludlow is going berserk, incensed at something.
28 min: England make their own luck, piling into the box, with Scott helping the ball forward. Taylor wins the ball, shoves off her marker before Parris takes over. Her cross-shot drags across goal and O’Sullivan scoops it up.
26 min: Duggan’s ball in is good, fizzed in with pace towards the back post, where Bright nods back across goal. The ball drops to the edge of the box, where Jordan Nobbs sends an effort goalwards but it’s off target.
25 min: Bit of a coming together between James and Lucy Bronze on the edge of the box earns England a free-kick, 25 yards or so from goal. Toni Duggan fancies it, but it’s not central. She’ll swing it in, nevertheless ...
24 min: Kirby breaks again in between the Wales midfield and defence, but Jess Fishlock swoops in to steal the ball. A neat interception, just as Kirby sought to play the killer pass.
23 min: Greenwood gets a little bit of space down the left flank but she floats a lofted cross straight down the throat of Laura O’Sullivan, the Wales goalkeeper. That’s too easy for the hosts to deal with. Moments after, O’Sullivan almost spills a routine ball in, with Jodie Taylor lurking.
22 min: James takes a bump, but she’s back up on her feet. On the touchline, Jayne Ludlow dishes out a little pep talk to Natasha Harding. A little stat: England have had 70% of the ball.
20 min: Wales gobble up another England attack. It’s been an intense start by both teams, and that will surely prove the challenge over 90 minutes. Phil Neville looks pretty animated on the touchline, although his side have looked pretty impressive in spells, especially down the left.
18 min: A hopeful ball forward looks to have picked out Taylor but she’s flagged offside. Back come England ...
17 min: Greenwood does well again down the left flank, surging forward towards the edge of the box before slipping in Jodie Taylor, but the striker’s shot is tame and comfortably saved by O’Sullivan, the Wales goalkeeper.
16 min: Houghton gets caught cold by Natasha Harding, who has been very lively in these early stages. But as Wales edge towards goal, England shaft them out wide and win a free-kick. England, who have conceded just the single goal themselves in qualifying, look pretty sturdy in defence.
15 min: The ball comes flying into the box, O’Sullivan races out of goal and fails to claim it, but England cannot force it goalwards. A replay of that disallowed England goal shows that was a pretty dreadful error by the lineswoman, it was a clear goal, with Nikita Parris yards onside.
14 min: And now Jill Scott wins an England corner. She has 130 caps for her country, the most-capped player.
13 min: Some more England possession, with Houghton and Bright taking in turns to kickstart an attack.
11 min: O’Sullivan makes another fairly routine save, but England are still sniffing for an opening, with Kirby seeing plenty of the ball in front of the Wales back line.
10 min: James lashes an effort at goal from 30 yards, forcing Karen Bardsley, the England goalkeeper, into a smart save from distance. James, who went to same school as Joe Allen, has been a real presence in the Wales midfield. As for England going forward, a reminder that they face the task of breaking down a team that have not conceded in their seven previous qualifying matches.
9 min: England are back on the front foot, knocking the ball about the back but Millie Bright’s pass is overhit and Greenwood, the left-back, can’t get there. Wales look to press forward once more down the right flank.
6 min: Goal disallowed! Phil Neville punched the air with joy but a questionable offside call is given against Parris. She pokes home the rebound after Greenwood’s initial deflected effort from the left crashed against the bar. But the flag was raised, albeit very late. That came after an England counter, with Houghton and Bronze doing well to nick the ball away from Natasha Harding, freeing Fran Kirby to break with it.
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4 min: Lucy Bronze whips in a cross, but Jodie Taylor cannot reach it. Duggan then fizzes it back in and Nikita Parris gets up to meet it but, from the edge of the 18-yard box, it’s a big ask to endanger O’Sullivan’s goal. A bright start from both teams.
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3 min: Roberts sends a header wide from Ingle’s corner. That was a half-decent chance after evading her marker.
2 min: Laura O’Sullivan wellies a goal-kick downfield, but Jordan Nobbs puts a foot on it, though Helen Ward cuts out Scott’s pass, and Wales break. But Houghton does brilliantly to stop Nolan’s shot and Wales win a corner ...
1 min: Jill Scott gets away from James on halfway, allowing England to probe forward. After some early possession, they move down the left flank through Greenwood, winning a throw-in.
Peeeeeeeeeep!
And Angharad James gets us under way.
The players head out of the tunnel, and on to a narrowed Rodney Parade pitch. We are just a couple of national anthems away from kick-off.
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Both managers have been speaking pre-match. Phil Neville says: “I always think experience helps on a game like this, a lot of the players have played in World Cups and in European Championships. People are saying this is a massive game, and we see it as an important game in our journey. I want us to enjoy it, and it’s occasions like this why I took the job.” Wales, meanwhile, are determined to finish what they’ve started. “For us it’s the last game of what’s been a fantastic qualifying campaign,” says Jayne Ludlow. Hopefully my players can make their country very proud.”
Big news: Phil Neville’s gone for the waistcoat. That’s the Southgate effect for you, ladies and gentleman.
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Before kick-off in south Wales, check in on all the movers and shakers before the transfer deadline:
OK, they have not painted the away dressing room pink a la Norwich City and Carrow Road, but Wales have scrubbed away the white lines at Rodney Parade, reducing the pitch size to the smallest permitted, at 64.5m wide. A whiff of my mind games, nevertheless, with England keen on larger dimensions and a watered surface. “The pitch is fantastic; anyone who grew up in Wales knows there are much worse surfaces we could have chosen,” Ludlow said.
Wales’s most capped player is one win away from a World Cup, but knows the difficulty of the task at hand:
A nugget of news from earlier this week:
The Football Association has bid to host the Women’s European Championship in 2021, with Wembley earmarked for the July final.
The governing body proposes taking the tournament to eight cities across England. The closing date for bids is the end of this month and Uefa will select the hosts on 3 December.
Brighton, London (Wembley and Brentford), Milton Keynes, Manchester, Nottingham (Meadow Lane), Peterborough, Rotherham and Sheffield (Bramall Lane) have been identified as the bid’s venues.
Fab or Feast, Magnum or Maxibon: Phil Neville knows everything. “I know every part of their lives. I know about their animals; if they’ve got a dog I know its name. My players love their dogs. I know about their partners, I know if they go to the cinema – it’s the detail you need to be successful. If they have an ice cream I know about it.”
The teams!
Wales: O’Sullivan; Dykes, Ingle, Roberts, James, Harding, Green, Fishlock, Ladd, Nolan, Ward
Subs: Skinner, Evans, Griffiths, Lawrence, Hughes, Vincze, Morgan
England: Bardsley; Bronze, Greenwood, Houghton, Brighton, Nobbs, Scott, Kirby, Parris, Taylor, Duggan
Subs: Telford, McManus, Christiansen, Walsh, Daly, Mead, Lawley
Referee: Katalin Kulcsar (Hungary)
Preamble
As Abba famously sang, the winner takes it all. That’s the deal as Wales host England in Newport, with both determined to secure a berth at the Women’s World Cup next year. “Win and go to the World Cup,” Phil Neville, England’s manager, said. “Lose and you’re suffering.” Wales head into the game top of Group A, with this Jayne Ludlow’s side’s final qualifying game. Defeat for England would end their hopes of automatic qualification, as only the group winners qualify outright. The last time these two met, in April, they played out a bore draw. From the seven European groups, the best four runners-up will go into the play-offs – but only one team will qualify for the finals. “We are very happy with our performances during the campaign,” Ludlow said. “We just focus on what happens to be the last game and one we are determined to enjoy.”
Kick-off: 7.45pm (BST)
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