Match Centre: Republic of Ireland 0-2 England

England launched the Lee Carsley era in style, as Declan Rice and Jack Grealish scored in a 2-0 UEFA Nations League victory away to Republic of Ireland.

Carsley is in interim charge following the departure of Gareth Southgate after EURO 2024, and his team were excellent in securing their first win in Dublin for 60 years.

Rice made the breakthrough in the eleventh minute with a rasping shot into the top corner from 12 yards, while Grealish found the net with first-time finish from Rice’s cross shortly after.

The result marks a perfect start to England’s Nations League campaign, as they bid to win Group B2 and earn promotion back to League A at the first time of asking following relegation last year.

With two new head coaches in charge – Heimir Hallgrimsson also leading Ireland for the first time – there was a new-beginnings feel to this match.

The atmosphere was also electric, with this the first meeting between the two teams at the Aviva Stadium for nearly a decade, and the opening ten minutes was an end-to-end barnstormer, with chances at both ends.

Ireland started the quicker and should have taken the lead in the third minute when Robbie Brady’s whipped in-swinging corner found Jayson Molumby towards the back post, but he blazed a free header over the top from six yards out.

After settling into the match, England soon had their first chance as Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed perfectly for Harry Kane, who flashed a header inches over the bar from the middle of the box.

Ireland then had the next shot at goal as Sammie Szmodics cut in from the left-hand side and fired a right-footed shot that required Jordan Pickford to dive low and palm it away.

The open start to the match only encouraged a vocal home crowd – but they were soon silenced as England took the lead.

Gordon made a run beyond the Ireland defence and Alexander-Arnold found him with a perfect pass, putting the Newcastle winger through on goal.

But goalkeeper Caoimhim Kelleher did well to block his shot, before Kane’s follow-up was smothered by a desperate defence. Fortunately for England, Rice then arrived on time to slam the ball into the top corner from 12 yards.

That took the heat out of the game and, as the tempo slowed, England found a rhythm and started to dominate possession. Midway through the first half, they doubled their lead by cutting Ireland open and scoring a sensational goal that proved decisive.

Rice combined with Alexander-Arnold down the right, with a series of one-touch passes, before the Arsenal midfielder ran to the by-line and cut the ball back into the penalty box for Grealish to place a low shot into the bottom corner.

England created further chances in an excellent first half. Kane thought he should have been awarded a penalty when he was caught by Nathan Collins, while Gordon’s follow-up shot was deflected into Kelleher’s arms.

Kane was then in space down the left-hand side of the area after Grealish carried the ball 40 yards forward, but his shot was blocked by Seamus Coleman.

In the second half, England again dominated the ball but Ireland remained lively on the counter-attack and created their best chance in the 58th minute, when Chiedozie Ogbene picked out Szmodics in the box and he curled a shot narrowly wide.

At the other end, England continued to press high up the pitch and Gordon forced Kelleher into a low save after Rice had won the ball 30 yards from goal. Carsley made his first changes 15 minutes from time, handing debuts to midfielders Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes, and his team maintained control to the end.

Kelleher made two excellent saves to prevent a third goal in stoppage time, first by blocking a close-range Jarrod Bowen shot, before then diving to his right to stop a curling Bukayo Saka effort.

England: 1 Jordan Pickford (Everton), 2 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), 15 Levi Colwill (Chelsea), 16 Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), 6 Harry Maguire (Manchester United), 7 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), 4 Declan Rice (Arsenal), 18 Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), 10 Jack Grealish (Manchester City), 11 Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), 9 Harry Kane (c) (Bayern Munich)

Substitutes: 17 Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) for Grealish 76’, 19 Angel Gomes (Lille) for Mainoo 77’, 21 Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) for Gordon 77’, 20 Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) for Kane ’85, 5 John Stones (Manchester City) for Maguire 85’

Subs not used: 3 Rico Lewis (Manchester City), 8 Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), 12 Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), 13 Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), 14 Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), 22 Nick Pope (Newcastle United), 23 Noni Madueke (Chelsea).

Goals: Rice 11’, Grealish 26’

Yellow Cards: Mainoo 13’, Colwill 76’

Interim head coach: Lee Carsley

Republic of Ireland: 1 Caoimhim Kelleher, 2 Seamus Coleman (c), 4 Dara O’Shea, 22 Nathan Collins, 11 Robbie Brady, 21 Sammie Szmodics, 8 Will Smallbone, 14 Jayson Molumby, 7 Matt Doherty, 10 Adam Idah, 20 Chiedozie Ogbene

Substitutes: 12 Jake O’Brien for Coleman 57’, 17 Jason Knight for Doherty 58’, 6 Alan Browne for Smallbone 75’, 13 Kasey McAteer for Idah 76’, 9 Evan Ferguson for Brady 82’

Subs not used: 3 Callum O’Dowda, 5 Andrew Omobamidele, 15 Liam Scales, 16 Max O’Leary, 18 Callum Robinson, 19 Troy Parrott, 23 Mark Travers

Yellow Cards: Szmodics 44’, Molumby 64’, Brady 68’, O’Brien 76’

Coach: Heimir Hallgrimsson