ENGLAND 6-0 PORTUGAL: Aggie Beever-Jones scored three times on her first ever Wembley start for the Lionesses as she stepped in for injured Alessia Russo as Portugal were put to the sword
England hat-trick hero Aggie Beever-Jones admitted manager Sarina Wiegman told the Lionesses to go out and “destroy” Portugal before their thumping 6-0 Nations League win. With Alessia Russo ruled out due to a minor injury, Chelsea striker Beever-Jones led the line in her first ever Wembley start for the Lionesses.
And the 21-year-old had a dream night, opening the scoring inside three minutes and completing her hat-trick with barely half an hour on the clock.
“My first time playing at Wembley, actually, for England, so I don’t think it could get much better than that,” Beever-Jones said. “It was incredible. I think Wembley’s always been a special place – we won the FA Cup here not so long ago with Chelsea and I saw us win the Euros here, so for me it’s obviously a historic place, and for me I was just focusing on getting into the game, trying to do the basics well.”
It was England’s first game without Mary Earps, who announced her international retirement just days before the game, and their first in their new home kit, and if it can be considered a new era then it began in style.
“As cliche as it sounds, Sarina literally said it’s a new kit, new England today, go out there and put a graft in, basically,” Beever-Jones added. “I think her words were ‘destroy them’, in her Dutch accent.
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“But for us it was just executing the game plan, and first half we were really good at that, and in the second half if I’m honest we struggled just because they obviously dropped down and there’s less spaces.
“I think for us to get to the next level, how do we hurt teams when they’re like that. I think we can look back on today and be really proud of ourselves and be ready to go again on Tuesday.”
Beever-Jones treble helped England race into a 5-0 lead before half-time, with Lucy Bronze and Beth Mead also on target. Chloe Kelly came off the bench to add a sixth in the second half, ensuring England know victory away to world champions Spain on Tuesday night will see them top their Nations League group and go into this summer’s Euros flying high.
“Of course that is what we wanted,” Wiegman said after the win. “You go back to business and you want to show it on the pitch.
“It was an important game, we want to do well in the Nations League, we want to keep in the running to win it. We needed a win and it is really good to see the team showing up like this.
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