Football
PA Sport 6y

England Women put five past Kazakhstan in World Cup qualifier

Melissa Lawley scored her first senior goal and Nikita Parris hit a double as England Women thrashed Kazakhstan Women 5-0 in World Cup qualifying.

Lawley opened the scoring in the 15th minute from the right of the box after being set up by Jill Scott.

Substitute Fran Kirby added the second from the penalty spot after the break before a quickfire Parris brace eased England to victory.

Izzy Christiansen scored the fifth goal after an excellent ball in by Alex Greenwood which was played on by Kirby.

The win left England just a point behind Group 1 leaders Wales with a game in hand.

It was Lawley's first start for interim head coach Mo Marley's side and, despite the Lionesses' dominance in the first half, they only had the 23-year-old's goal to show for it.

After the break, Jodie Taylor's shot deflected off a Kazakhstan defender and hit the foot of the post before being cleared in the 59th minute as the hosts piled on the pressure.

And Kirby made it 2-0 in the 64th minute -- seconds after coming on in place of Taylor -- with her second penalty in as many games after Yekaterina Babshuk was adjudged to have handled.

Parris then blasted home a fine Kirby through-ball for England's third five minutes later before notching her second in the 75th minute when Scott's dummy allowed Kiera Walsh's pass to reach her.

Christiansen was at the far post to tap in Kirby's ball across the face of goal after a searching cross by Greenwood as England outclassed their opponents.

Lawley and Kirby both had shots blocked in a frantic passage of play with five minutes remaining as England pressed for another, with Parris then seeing her hat-trick chance go begging after the ball bounced too high for her to control.

Christiansen went close from distance as the game entered stoppage time, and Walsh's low strike from 20 yards brushed the outside of the post.

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