Beth Mead hits four goals in England’s 10-0 hammering of North Macedonia

Beth Mead scored four, bagging her third hat-trick of England’s World Cup qualifying campaign, and Ellen White became the second player to reach 50 goals for England as the Lionesses beat North Macedonia 10-0 in Skopje.

Manchester United forward Ella Toone also scored three and Georgia Stanway struck either side of the break as England ran riot against the team they beat 8-0 in the reverse fixture.

Sarina Wiegman had said she wanted to “create lots of chances, be very secure on the ball, score lots of goals – and concede none” and although the score line was favourable, the Lionesses weren’t quite as clinical as they perhaps should have been against a team positioned 124 places below them in the Fifa world rankings – the team’s 10 goals coming from 35 shots to North Macedonia’s one and 81% of the possession.

Nevertheless, with the glow of Skopje’s 66m high Millennium Cross on top of the Vodno mountain hovering above the swooping roof of the Toše Proeski Arena that mirrored its curve, England were five goals ahead at the close of the first half.

And they had done so without a host of key players, with captain Leah Williamson out following concussion protocol and defenders Alex Greenwood and Lotte Wubben-Moy left behind with knee and thigh injuries respectively, resulting in the late inclusion of the Everton centre-back Gabby George.

Partnering Bright in the centre of defence was Chelsea teammate Jess Carter, but there was little to be concerned about as the pair had very little to do.

It took just five minutes for England to take the lead, but they could have been ahead already, with White whipping a header from a Lauren Hemp cross wide in the second minute. Hemp was the provider for the opener, delivering a similar ball