#WU19EURO Qual Rd: Clinton hits hat-trick as Young Lionesses progress | OneFootball

England WU-19s three-goal Grace Clinton. (Photo: Lynne Cameron for The FA)

Grace Clinton hit a hat-trick as England beat Northern Ireland 8-1 in the UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship qualifiers.

With England WU19s winning their first two matches of round one qualifying, it means they are guaranteed to finish in the top three and therefore remain in Group A for second round qualifying regardless of their result against Switzerland on Tuesday (1pm).

Clinton set the tone after just six minutes against Northern Ireland on Saturday when she capitalised on a mistake just outside the penalty box, the advantage was doubled on the half-hour mark when Missy Goodwin cut in from the right and sent a left-footed shot into the top corner.

Northern Ireland pulled one back just before the break through Kathryn Dickson, but early in the second half Freya Gregory restored  the two-goal advantage from the penalty spot.

Five goals followed in the final quarter, two each for Clinton and Lucy Parry, Aggie Beever-Jones also finding the net.

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