England Storm to 5-0 Victory Over Ireland to Clinch Nations League Promotion

England made light work of 10-man Republic of Ireland in a dominant second-half performance, securing a 5-0 victory at Wembley on Sunday to clinch promotion back to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League. Interim manager Lee Carsley’s reign came to a perfect end, as the Three Lions completed a second-half blitz that included five goals in just 25 minutes.

After a frustrating first half that saw England dominate possession but fail to break down the resilient Irish defense, the match exploded into life after the break. Harry Kane opened the scoring with a penalty, before Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen, and debutant Taylor Harwood-Bellis all got in on the act, sealing a crushing win for England.

The game seemed destined to remain goalless at halftime, as England, despite enjoying 75% possession, could not find a way past Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Ireland, meanwhile, showed defensive discipline and even had penalty appeals waved away by Belgian referee Erik Lambrechts. However, it was a different story after the break, with Ireland’s defensive resilience crumbling following a key moment in the 50th minute.

A brilliant pass from Kane set up Jude Bellingham in the box, where he was fouled by Ireland’s Liam Scales. The defender, already booked for delaying a restart earlier, was sent off for the second yellow card, and Kane made no mistake from the penalty spot, sending Kelleher the wrong way to put England 1-0 up.

The floodgates opened from there. Just two minutes later, Gordon volleyed home a superb corner from Noni Madueke, and Gallagher added a third after a knockdown from Marc Guehi. England’s clinical finishing continued with Bowen marking his substitute appearance with a fine strike from the edge of the box, before Harwood-Bellis capped the scoring with a header from an Angel Gomes cross, registering his first goal for the senior team.

The performance, particularly in the second half, was a fitting send-off for Carsley, who had been handed the temporary reins in August. With Greece winning their match against Finland, England’s superior head-to-head record meant they finished top of Group B2, ensuring automatic promotion back to League A without needing a play-off.

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson was left stunned by the collapse. “I’m lost for words. Six minutes of madness. We lost our heads,” said Hallgrimsson. “After the first half, it was a game we wanted it to be. We defended compactly, but after conceding the penalty and losing a player, it all fell apart. Excuses when you lose 5-0 are pathetic. It’s embarrassing.”

With the win, England finished top of Group B2 with 15 points, the same as Greece but with a superior goal difference, thus securing promotion to League A ahead of their new manager, Thomas Tuchel, who will take over in January. For Ireland, the defeat means they will have to fight to retain their spot in League B next spring, when they face a two-legged relegation play-off.