Estonia ranked 85th and coached by former Charlton Athletic manager Keith Boanas in his last game in charge after eight years at the helm of developing the game in the country, were always going to be the underdogs in this tie on a balmy evening in Nottingham.
In the last meeting between the sides in Tallin, England hit eight without reply, including an incredible debut hat trick from Arsenal striker Danielle Carter. Since that game Estonia have yet to collect any points or score a goal but then they are at a very different stage of growing the women’s game than last year’s World Cup Bronze medal winners.
England, playing with a novel three at the back of Lucy Bronze, Steph Houghton and Jo Potter were allowed to push up with regularity, having only the lone figure of number 9 Signy Aarnu to watch.
Jordan Nobbs sat in front of the back three, spraying passes left and right to Gemma Davison on the right flank and Demi Stokes down the left and linking with Jill Scott and Karen Carney, just behind the fizzing energy of the front two of Danielle Carter and Nikita Parris.
The first big chance of the night came from a right wing cross headed wide by Nikita Parris in the 9th minute but before the next sixty seconds were out, Danielle Carter had turned on the edge of the box and let fly a sharp right foot strike, low into the bottom corner. That’s four goals in her international career, all against Estonia. But she wasn’t done just yet.
Gemma Davison had made the early running down the right wing but Demi Stokes, in her first real foray down the left, centred to Parris on 13 minutes, her header come off the
bar only for Jill Scott to nod in at the far post. An England goal, made and scored by Manchester City.
Parris turned provider once again bursting into the right side of the box and squaring for Danielle Carter to make it 3-0 in the 18th minute. Jill Scott dribbled in the box and pulled it back to Jordan Nobbs who set herself to shoot but curled her effort wide on 20 minutes. If this simply sounds like a list of chances, that was how the early stages of the game panned out.
At times Estonia were pegged back so deep in one or two lines, that it started to become a little harder for England to break through, that and some committed defending from Estonia too. Midfielder Katrin Loo, in particular, was the embodiment of grit and determination, if not also verging on a foul too many.
Just on the stroke of the half hour it looked like Carter was about to net her third, but she was denied by a fine diving save by captain Getter Laar, who pushed her effort around the left upright.
The first period somewhat fizzled out after that but the Lionesses were back in goalscoring action through ‘guess who?’, yes Danielle Carter, who secured her hat trick on 55 minutes, sweeping home a ball loose in the box after a left wing corner to make it 4-0. Much discussion followed in the press area about whether any player had ever scored a hat trick in their first two international appearances…we’re pretty sure no England player male or female has. (Vivienne Miedema the Dutch striking prodigy managed two in her first three appearances.)
With the insertion of Rachel Daly in place of Nikita Parris, there was a renewed sense of inventiveness about the attack, Daly’s little flicks and one touch passes bringing in players around her. Then Jade Moore’s introduction for Scott allowed Jordan Nobbs to get forward more and it was her side on volley that Laar parried away on 70 mins.
The final substitution was Gilly Flaherty on for Chelsea team mate Davison, slotting in alongside the other back two and Bronze pushed up the right. On 82 minutes Nobbs again blazed over with a volley from inside the area and Danielle Carter stood with her hands on her hips on 90 minutes after she blasted over from just outside the six yard box, as a game that looked at one stage early on like it might challenge England’s record 13-0 win in Hungary ticked away to its conclusion, there was one last sting in the tail, as Karen Carney netted a stoppage time penalty.
A comfortable 5-0 victory for Mark Sampson’s team and a fairly respectable (though they could have done without the late goal) and gutsy scoreline for Keith Boanas’ charges. Both managers will be pretty content with that. And with Belgium winning 3-1 in Serbia earlier in the day and just two points behind England, the stage is set for a battle for top place in the group, in Leuven on Tuesday. (Remember that game will be on BBC2, c.6pm kick off.)
Attendance: 7,052
England line-up: 1. S Chamberlain; 2. L Bronze, 5. S Houghton, 6. J Potter; 4. J Nobbs; 7. G Davison (12. Gill Flaherty, 72 mins), 8. J Scott (16. Jade Moore, 61 mins), 4. J Nobbs, 3. D Stokes; 10. K Carney; 11. D Carter, 9. N Parris (18. Rachel Daly, 59 mins).
Subs not used: 13. Rebecca Spencer (GK), 14. Alex Scott, 15. Claire Rafferty, 17. Isobel Christiansen
(Images: FA via Getty Images)
