Mead nets double on England debut
Yorkshire’s Beth Mead marked her full Lionesses debut with two goals as England Women wrapped up their World Cup qualifying campaign with a resounding 6-0 victory in Kazakhstan.
Mead was one of seven players handed their first full starts by coach Phil Neville after qualification for the tournament in France next year was assured with a win over Wales on Friday.
Arsenal star Mead grabbed the opener from the penalty spot in the ninth minute after being fouled by Kazakh keeper Oksana Zheleznyak.
Rachel Daly made it 2-0 when she provided a neat finish to a cross by Hannah Blundell.
And England’s attack continued to breach the home defence as Izzy Christiansen extended England’s lead shortly after the interval.
Blundell turned provider again to set up a debut goal for Birmingham midfielder Lucy Staniforth in the 66th minute.
The lively Mead hit the post with her second penalty but made amends shortly afterwards when she made it 5-0 with a neat lobbed finish, before Bruton squared for Lucy Bronze to net England’s sixth. HARROGATE TOWN went top of the National League with a 3-2 win at Gateshead.
Harrogate went ahead midway through the first half when Tom White fouled George Thomson in the penalty area and Dominic Knowles converted from the spot.
Gateshead drew level as Fraser Kerr rose highest at the back post to head home Greg Olley’s corner.
Steven Rigg then gave the hosts a 52nd-minute lead, heading in Scott Boden’s cross after a neat move.
But four minutes later Harrogate drew level as Jack Muldoon found space in the box and fired home a low effort.
Aaron Williams struck the winner five minutes from time after reacting quickest when Warren Burrell’s shot deflected into the box.
Elsewhere, FC Halifax Town are fourth after an excellent point in a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Wrexham.
Town survived a fourthminute thunderbolt from Mike Fondop-Talom that crashed back off the bar to create the better early chances.
Nathan Clarke had a header from a corner ruled out for a foul, and Matty Kosylo, Clarke and Jonathan Edwards all fired off target.
Fondop-Talom was Wrexham’s biggest threat, shooting over and heading a free-kick towards the top left corner before Johnson reached high to save.
Luke Summerfield was forced to clear a Town header off the line shortly before the break.
By the hour mark, FondopTalom and Rekeil Pyke had both gone close with headers inside the box.
Halifax had lost some of their earlier composure, with Edwards’s shot at Rob Lainton from a tight angle against the run of play midway through the second-half. Dayle Southwell went close to winning it late on with an excellent run and low shot that was tipped behind.