Lee Carsley’s first match in charge of the England senior side finished in victory on Saturday, with the Three Lions beating Ireland 2-0 in their 2024/25 UEFA Nations League opener.
Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, who were booed incessantly having represented Ireland at senior and youth level respectively, scored the decisive goals in the first half to secure a comfortable victory.
England’s League B campaign continues against Finland on Tuesday as Carsley searches for back-to-back wins to kickstart his reign.
How the game unfolded
A cacophonous atmosphere greeted both sets of players in Dublin and the decibels inside the Aviva Stadium increased after just three minutes when Jayson Molumby connected with a header at the far post. However, the West Bromwich Albion midfielder couldn’t keep his effort down.
England grabbed the first goal of Carsley’s reign after just 11 minutes and it was the unpopular Rice who provided it. Despite a strong save from Anthony Gordon’s initial shot, Caoimhin Kelleher was helpless as the Arsenal midfielder bent his strike into the top corner from 12 yards.
The visitors doubled their advantage with 26 minutes played and it was Grealish who grabbed a well-taken second. Rice was at the heart of a beautiful one-touch move that sliced Ireland open and the scorer of England’s opener turned provider, pulling back for Grealish to sweep into the far corner.
Anthony Gordon and Kane both saw lunging blocks deny them from close range as the half wore on but Carsley’s men were unable to capitalise on their dominance to secure a game-ending third before the break.
Ireland came close to reducing the deficit around the hour mark when two Ipswich Town summer signings connected. Chiedozie Ogbene picked out Sammie Szmodics inside the penalty area and the former Blackburn Rovers forward curled his shot just wide of Jordan Pickford’s post.
England were able to slow the tempo of the game down after the half-time whistle but they still showed signs of life in the final third. Gordon was active on the left wing and kept Kelleher on his toes with a fairly tame effort with 20 minutes to play.
Substitute Jarrod Bowen was next to test Kelleher with just five minutes to play, driving forward with his first touches of the ball and arrowing an effort towards the far post. Bukayo Saka almost added some gloss to the scoreline in stoppage-time too, but Kelleher stood firm to palm his curling shot wide.
But in the end England were happy to see out a tepid second half with little fuss, holding on to their clean sheet to secure a first win for Carsley in their Nations League opener.
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher – 6/10 – Made some solid saves to keep the score down and was left with no chance for England’s strikes.
RB: Matt Doherty – 4/10 – The majority of England’s joy came down the left flank, with Doherty unable to stifle Gordon in one-v-one duels.
CB: Seamus Coleman – 5/10 – Struggled to cope with the movement of Gordon and Grealish before coming off injured before the hour mark.
CB: Nathan Collins – 5/10 – Kept Kane relatively quiet but failed to organise a leaky backline in the first half from the centre of a back three.
CB: Dara O’Shea – 5/10 – Stood helpless as England carved Ireland open for their second goal of the game, not getting tight enough to cut out the quick passes in the build-up.
LB: Robbie Brady – 3/10 – Found it tough to keep tabs on Saka, who was quick to sprint beyond him and draw him into fouls. The Arsenal winger tormented him after the break.
RM: Chiedozie Ogbene – 7/10 – Sprinted into the final third with pace and energy on plenty of occasions and was easily Ireland’s most impressive performer despite lacking a little end product.
CM: Jayson Molumby – 5/10 – Had an excellent opportunity to turn home early doors, failing to control his far-post header. Dominated by England’s midfield a little too easily.
CM: Will Smallbone – 5/10 – Failed to get close to England’s midfield, often resorting to giving away fouls when he did.
LM: Sammie Szmodics – 6/10 – Tested Jordan Pickford with a decent effort in the first half and could have netted after an hour. Booked for a nasty challenge on Gordon moments before half-time.
ST: Adam Idah – 5/10 – Offered very little support from his teammates and was practically invisible throughout.
Substitutes
SUB: Jake O’Brien (57′ for Coleman) – 5/10 – Steady but unspectacular.
SUB: Jason Knight (57′ for Doherty) – 6/10 – Did well against the threat of Gordon.
SUB: Alan Browne (75′ for Smallbone) – 6/10
SUB: Kasey McAteer (75′ for Idah) – 6/10
SUB: Evan Ferguson (82′ for Brady) – N/A
Subs not used: Mark Travers (GK), Max O’Leary (GK), Andrew Omobamidele, Callum O’Dowda, Liam Scales, Callum Robinson, Troy Parrott.
Manager
Heimir Hallgrimsson – 5/10 – A difficult debut as Ireland boss for the Icelander, with his side lacking any real threat in the final third. Improved after the break but still looked off the pace.
GK: Jordan Pickford – 6/10 – Seldom tested by Ireland’s forwards but made one save to deny Szmodics early in the match.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6/10 – Operating as a traditional right-back in many senses but regularly stepped into midfield, too. However, his passing radar was off and he gifted possession to Ireland a little too frequently.
CB: Marc Guehi – 7/10 – Didn’t always look comfortable in physical duels with Celtic striker Idah but certainly grew in confidence. Used his pace effectively when Ireland’s forwards made rare forays in behind.
CB: Harry Maguire – 7/10 – A consistent threat from attacking set pieces and was there to meet plenty of crosses inside his own penalty area. A comfortable return to the international stage.
LB: Levi Colwill – 7/10 – Ogbene did offer him a few headaches, especially after the break, but he stood up to the test in a less familiar role on the left side of defence.
DM: Declan Rice – 9/10 – Unsurprisingly booed with every touch as a result of his three Ireland caps but it only spurned him. Produced an accurate finish to fire England in front and was key to an exquisite move which created their second.
DM: Kobbie Mainoo – 6/10 – A few shaky moments early on, including a needless booking, but steadied himself swiftly. Competent on the ball and his positioning allowed Rice more freedom in advanced areas.
RW: Bukayo Saka – 8/10 – Saka was lively throughout, stretching Ireland down their left-hand side and giving Brady nightmares. His quick feet and dribbling ability opened doors for England, especially in the second half.
AM: Jack Grealish – 8/10 – Booed alongside Rice for his Irish connection and was similarly quick to subdue the crowd. Offered the finishing touch to a sharp move halfway through the first period and won a whole heap of fouls.
LW: Anthony Gordon – 7/10 – Desperate to run beyond the Ireland backline and wreaked havoc when doing so. Just lacked a little finesse when near goal.
ST: Harry Kane – 6/10 – The skipper struggled for touches and was largely a bystander. His deflected shot did set up Rice for the opener.
Substitutes
SUB: Morgan Gibbs-White (77′ for Grealish) – 6/10
SUB: Angel Gomes (77′ for Mainoo) – 6/10
SUB: Eberechi Eze (77′ for Gordon) – 6/10
SUB: John Stones (84′ for Maguire) – N/A
SUB: Jarrod Bowen (84′ for Kane) – N/A
Subs not used: Dean Henderson (GK), Nick Pope (GK), Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento, Rico Lewis, Conor Gallagher, Noni Madueke.
Manager
Lee Carsley – 7/10 – A pretty comfortable first match in charge of the senior squad in a difficult atmosphere. Impressive in the first half and controlled after the break, but will want even more from his players against Finland.
Player of the match: Declan Rice (England)
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