DUBLIN (Reuters) – England began life after Gareth Southgate in convincing fashion on Saturday, outclassing Ireland 2-0 in the Nations League with goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish giving interim manager Lee Carsley a debut win.
Carsley, who will oversee two games this month with a view to staying on through the autumn, represented Ireland as a player and it was the two of his team with Irish links – Rice and Grealish – who gave England a 2-0 halftime lead.
Rice played three games for Ireland before switching to the country of his birth, while Grealish played at under-age level for England’s near neighbour, who were also playing under new manager Heimir Hallgrimsson for the first time.
England took their foot off the accelerator in the second half but the hosts failed to land a blow, highlighting the gulf between the sides ranked 54 places apart and meeting after England’s relegation to the competition’s second-tier League B.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Toby Davis)
