England must navigate play-offs despite 3-0 win over Ukraine

England will have to navigate the play-offs to reach the 2027 Women's World Cup despite a 3-0 win over Ukraine at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. They had needed Iceland to take points off Spain after La Roja thumped Sarina Wiegman's side, and Spain's eventual 6-1 victory in Iceland rendered England's win insufficient for the sole automatic berth.

Jess Carter opened the scoring with a smart header after 14 minutes, and England dominated thereafter, pinning Ukraine back and creating several chances. Keira Walsh played a superb reverse pass that set up Alessia Russo's run, allowing Georgia Stanway to slide in for the second goal, while Spain extended their lead in Iceland before the break.

Beth Mead came off the bench to score a brilliant free-kick just past the hour to make it 3-0. Lauren James was central to England's early play, unlucky to hit the bar and the post before delivering the cross for the opening goal, and players such as Maya Le Tissier and Laura Blindkilde Brown had notable moments as England closed this stage on a high.

england, ukraine, play-offs, 2027 world, hill dickinson, jess carter, keira walsh, alessia russo, georgia stanway, beth mead