A hat-trick from the Manchester City striker Ellen White helped the Lionesses to a 6-0 win over Northern Ireland and ensured England ushered in a new, more direct, era under the temporary manager Hege Riise in style.
Little was always going to be gleaned from a friendly between teams separated by 43 places in the Fifa world rankings, and a vicious wind affected the game.
Positive signs were there, though, for England in a less familiar 4-4-1-1. They had won only three of their previous 11 games, including narrow and unconvincing victories over the lowly ranked Portugal and the Czech Republic. Against Northern Ireland there was a directness to England’s play that had been somewhat sacrificed in Phil Neville’s search for the perfect…
