Two-time champions beat debutantes 4-1 to make perfect start to their Women\u2019s Euro 2022 campaign
\n SOUTHAMPTON
\nNorway eased to a 4-1 win over out-classed Northern Ireland in their Women\u2019s Euro 2022 opener on Thursday.
\nJulie Blakstad and Frida Maanum gave Norway the perfect start with goals inside the first 13 minutes at Southampton.
\nCaroline Graham Hansen\u2019s penalty put the two-time European champions on course to ruin Northern Ireland major women\u2019s tournament debut.
\nJulie Nelson, Northern Ireland\u2019s most-capped female player, gave the competition\u2019s lowest-ranked nation brief hope of an unlikely comeback just after the interval.
\nBut Guro Reiten\u2019s free-kick sealed a convincing success for Martin Sjogren\u2019s side, who moved level on three points with hosts England at the top of Group A.
\n\u201cI\u2019m very pleased with the first 45 minutes, but then Northern Ireland came back, we got a bit sloppy and we can\u2019t be that in a big tournament because then you will get punished, which is what happened,\u201d Sjogren said.
\n\u201cBut we bounced back quite quickly, so I\u2019m very happy with our performance. We could have scored a couple more in the first half.\u201d
\nNorthern Ireland boss Kenny Shiels added: \u201cWe are three years into this programme and it\u2019s going to take 10 years to get us into the top 20 in Europe.
\n\u201cWe have to get real and understand it\u2019s an emerging game in Northern Ireland. We have grown too quickly and we are playing against teams of this ilk, it\u2019s tough. But the experience is brilliant for us.\u201d
\nFollowing Wednesday\u2019s Old Trafford attendance of 68,871 for England\u2019s win over Austria, a more modest crowd of 9,146 turned out at St Mary\u2019s.
\nNorway, winners of this competition in 1987 and 1993, twice thrashed their opponents 6-0 in qualifying and swiftly took control again.
\nManchester City midfielder Blakstad claimed the 10th-minute opener, beating goalkeeper Jackie Burns at her near post with a low, left-footed drive.
\nArsenal\u2019s Maanum doubled the advantage three minutes later.
\nShe dispossessed Chloe McCarron just outside the Northern Ireland area and was left with a simple finish into an unguarded net after receiving the ball back from Ada Hegerberg.
\nNorthern Ireland contributed to their own downfall as the game effectively ended as a contest in the 31st minute.
\nVAR intervened after Nadene Caldwell inexplicably handled the ball in her own box following an inswinging corner, allowing impressive Barcelona star Hansen to dispatch the spot-kick.
\nFour minutes into the second half, Rachel Furness smashed the ball back across the box after Norway made a mess of clearing a corner and 37-year-old centre-back Nelson nodded over the line.
\nNorway quickly ended any hopes of a shock fightback as Chelsea winger Reiten restored the three-goal advantage, catching out Burns with a low, 20-yard free-kick.
\nNorthern Ireland will seek to bounce back on Monday when Austria visit St Mary\u2019s, while Norway travel along the south coast for a showdown with England in Brighton<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two-time champions beat debutantes 4-1 to make perfect start to their Women\u2019s Euro 2022 campaign SOUTHAMPTON Norway eased to a 4-1 win over out-classed Northern Ireland in their Women\u2019s Euro 2022 opener on Thursday. Julie Blakstad and Frida Maanum gave Norway the perfect start with goals inside the first 13 minutes at Southampton. Caroline Graham […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":270683,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[9505,7485,5424],"class_list":{"0":"post-270670","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-northern-ireland","9":"tag-norway","10":"tag-opener"},"yoast_head":"\n