Toni Duggan hits hat-trick as England crush Montenegro

Toni Duggan scored a hat-trick as England sauntered to a 9-0 victory over Montenegro in Mark Sampson’s first home match in charge, cementing their place at the top of World Cup qualifying Group 6.

The Manchester City striker started the rout in the opening minute, rifling home an angled drive from inside the box. 

She doubled her tally and England’s lead on 13 minutes, before Eniola Aluko and Jill Scott made it 4-0 at the interval.

Karen Carney extended the lead shortly after the restart, Lianne Sanderson netted via some help from Jovana Mrkic, while Demi Stokes’ first England goal, on her home debut, Duggan’s treble strike and Natasha Dowie’s late intervention completed the win – England’s biggest of this qualifying campaign.

This was a match where England never looked likely to slip up. Montenegro’s women’s side have only been in existence for three years and the gulf in quality was all too obvious in Brighton.

Interim boss Brent Hills had led the Three Lions to victory in their opening four qualifiers last year, where England scored 20 without reply – and this impressive record was extended at the Amex Stadium.

The clock had not reached the minute mark when Duggan was played in by Lianne Sanderson for the 22-year-old to smash home her 10th international goal.

The scoreline may have been overwhelmingly comfortable, but Montenegro did have a chance, their only opportunity, just a minute later as their captain, Sladjana Bulatovic, fed Armisa Kuc, who forced Siobhan Chamberlain to turn away a low shot at her near post.

Alex Scott goes in for a 50-50 with Armisa Kuc

 

This was the only real scare, though, and Duggan could have bagged her hat-trick inside the opening 10 minutes as she came close to converting crosses from Aluko and then Sanderson.

Sanderson had a goal ruled out for a foul on the Montenegro goalkeeper, Marija Zizic, before Duggan made it 2-0 on 13 minutes, pouncing on the loose ball after Fara Williams’ shot was spilled by Zizic.

From here it was simply a matter of how many they could muster. Aluko shot wide and Steph Houghton, the team’s new captain, had a free-kick saved as Sampson’s side sought an inevitable third. It duly arrived before half-time – along with a fourth for good measure.

After Williams had headed Carney’s cross against the post, Aluko showed her how it should be done, nodding home Jill Scott’s centre.

The Manchester City midfielder then went from provider to goalscorer, side-footing home from 18 yards, to make it 4-0 before the break.

And far from resting on their laurels, England began the second half the way they ended the first, with two quickfire goals.

Carney collected Williams’ pass inside the box, swiveled and shot past Zizic less than five minutes after the restart, and Sanderson’s low shot was inadvertently directed into the net by Montenegro defender Mrkic for the sixth goal of the afternoon.

The home side looked likely to score with every attack and as well as a comfortable three points, there was further reason for Stokes to celebrate her home debut as she netted her first international goal.

The left-back found herself in acres of space inside the area to control the ball when Alex Scott’s right-sided cross was not cleared properly. She composed herself and then thumped the ball past the helpless Zizic.

Substitute Dowie, on for Carney, then had a far post header saved minutes before Duggan scored the best goal of the afternoon, as she curled an effort into the far corner from the edge of the box.

All that was left was for Dowie to complete the win, England biggest since 2005, in the 83rd minute.

England (4-3-3): 1 Siobhan Chamberlain (Arsenal); 2 Alex Scott (Arsenal), 5 Steph Houghton (C; Manchester City), 6 Lucy Bronze (Liverpool), 3 Demi Stokes (South Florida Bulls); 4 Fara Williams (Liverpool), 8 Jill Scott (Manchester City), 10 Karen Carney (Birmingham City); 7 Eniola Aluko (Chelsea), 9 Lianne Sanderson (Boston Breakers), 11 Toni Duggan (Manchester City).

Substitutes: 17 Natasha Dowie (Liverpool) for Carney (59), 15 Jade Moore (Birmingham City) for Aluko (64), 18 Ellen White (Notts County) for Sanderson (72)

Substitutes not used: 12 Laura Bassett (Chelsea), 13 Carly Telford (Notts County), 14 Alex Greenwood (Everton), 16 Casey Stoney (Arsenal).

Goals: Duggan (1, 13, 71), Aluko (37), Jill Scott (39), Carney (49), Sanderson (55), Stokes (69), Dowie (83)

Montenegro: 1 Marija Zizic, 2 Zeljka Radanovic, 3 Andreja Vidic, 4 Maja Micunovic, 17 Jovana Mrkic, 15 Milica Vulic, 13 Darija Djukic, 7 Ivana Krivokapic, 9 Sladjana Bulatovic (C), 14 Jasna Djokovic, 11 Armisa Kuc.

Substitutes: 6 Tatjana Djurkovic for Radanovic (46), 19 Nina Vujicic for Djokovic (67), 16 Tamara Bojat for Bulatovic (74)

Substitutes not used: 12 Iva Milacic, 5 Irena Bjelica, 20 Ivana Ivastanin, 22 Radosava Kocanovic.

Manager: Zoran Mijovic

Referee: Elia Maria Martinez

Attendance: 8,908