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When it comes to who will start at quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide this upcoming season, ESPN's Paul Finebaum says this player has the momentum.The Alabama Crimson Tide had Bryce Young as their starting quarterback for the previous two seasons, one in which he won the Heisman Troph...

Gareth Southgate lauded Bukayo Saka after the England star scored a tremendous treble against North Macedonia and enjoyed one of the best nights of his life. Having followed up March’s wins against Italy and Ukraine by beating Malta 4-0 on Friday, the side put on a show on Monday as their Euro 2024 qualification cakewalk continued. Harry Kane’s brace was complemented by Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips efforts at Old Trafford, where Saka was the star of the 7-0 annihilation of North Macedonia. A fierce strike from a tight angle was followed at the start of the second half by a stupendous second, before then quickly wrapping up the first hat-trick of his career. Saka was given a standing ovation after a sparkling performance made all the impressive by the fact Southgate revealed he has been dealing with an Achilles issue. “He’s had it for a few weeks and it’s an injury that just needs managing, but it would have been easy not to appear,” the England boss said. “I think when you then have probably one of the best nights of your life, it’s a reminder to everybody that it’s worth going through those things. “To see the joy on his face, he’s such a popular member of the team and so humble, works incredibly hard and, of course, talented. “He’s been finishing like that all week, so, yeah, it was outstanding performance.” Asked how close Saka is to being at an elite level, Southgate said: “Yeah, I think he’s there. “When he broke into the team at Arsenal, what struck us was that in a team that were having a difficult time he was performing at a really high level. “Then when the team were playing well he was still a key player and performing at a really high level. “So, that says a lot about his mentality, his ability to deal with pressure and that’s the environment that we’re in all the time. He’s exceptional to work with.” Saka’s goals in the final match of this unprecedented season mean it is a matter of when rather than if England wrap up qualification for next summer’s Euros. There were few signs of fatigue at a rocking Old Trafford, where Macedonia suffered their heaviest ever defeat. “The scoreline is outrageous, really,” Southgate said. “That wasn’t really how you were expecting the game to be because there’s no evidence that Macedonia would suffer like that. “There’s no evidence that the game in the end would be as straightforward as it was and certainly in the opening 20 minutes it didn’t look that way, so it’s huge credit to (the group). “I think our senior players have set a brilliant tone all week and Jordan Henderson on the pitch tonight. “He won’t get the headlines but the way he set the tone for winning the ball back and running forward and mixing the game up I think was really important.” I want to apologise to the whole of the Macedonian nation for our performance and what we did tonight Blagoja Milevski Macedonia were blown away at Old Trafford, where they were a far cry from the side that shocked Germany and Italy in recent years. Head coach Blagoja Milevski said: “Before we start the press conference, I want to apologise to the whole of the Macedonian nation for our performance and what we did tonight. “I make decisions for every player who plays and the responsibility is just mine so I have to apologise for the whole of the Macedonian nation. “It happens that these disastrous moments happen and we are all involved in it. I take all the responsibility for today’s game.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Stephen Kenny says ‘nothing is impossible’ ahead of France and Netherlands tests Rob Page insists Wales can still qualify despite Turkey defeat Michael O’Neill feels Northern Ireland did not deserve to lose to Kazakhstan

Michael O’Neill said Northern Ireland did not deserve to lose Monday’s Euro 2024 qualifier at home to Kazakhstan after being hit by a “sucker-punch” from substitute Abat Aimbetov in the 88th minute. Northern Ireland had more of the ball and created more opportunities, but the lack of quality in the final third told once again as O’Neill’s injury-hit squad fell to a 1-0 defeat for a third consecutive Group H match. They had been pushing for a winner without joy when Aimbetov broke away from his own half late on, riding a challenge from Craig Cathcart and then Paddy McNair before slotting past Bailey Peacock-Farrell. Qualification for next summer’s finals now looks a long shot as Northern Ireland have only three points, secured against minnows San Marino, from their opening four fixtures, but O’Neill’s bigger concern this week has been nurturing a young team with 10 senior players missing. “I don’t think it was merited,” O’Neill said in the wake of a result that was greeted with boos at the final whistle at Windsor Park. “We were very dominant in the first half, we found it quite difficult to play through a team that was set up to defend deep with 10 players behind the ball. “We created one or two opportunities…and we gave up one chance which was poor defending on our part. In the second half I think the game looked like it was drifting a bit but I think the substitutes gave us a lift. “We lost Jonny (Evans, who came off with a shoulder injury) at that point, we had to change the shape and we were a little bit patched up in the back four, and then we lose a goal right at the end, a real sucker-punch. “I think Kazakhstan were more than happy to settle for a point and they came away with all three and it’s a very disappointing result. “For us to lose the game in that way is extremely disappointing. We’ve lost three games 1-0, we’ve conceded goals that if you’re going to progress at this level you can’t concede and we’re learning the hard way at the moment that the mistakes we’re making are costing us.” O’Neill has spent much of this international window and the one in March preaching caution given Northern Ireland’s injury predicament, talking about how much was being asked of young players, many of whom lack first-team experience at club level, let alone international. Conor Bradley was missing through injury but there were still two teenagers in the starting line-up in Shea Charles and Isaac Price, with Dale Taylor among those coming off the bench. Patience could be a key word, but after a second half in which the atmosphere at Windsor fell flat, some fans booed as the players walked off. “Fans are entitled to boo,” O’Neill said. “We lost the game 1-0. I don’t read too much into that. Very rarely do you go to a match where the home team lose 1-0 and the fans cheer. “They were probably frustrated to see us lose the game as we are as staff and players, but hopefully they see a young team which is going to have to take a bit of time to mould that team. “We need a little more experience and some of our more experienced players back to help a lot of those younger players.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Thibaut Courtois denies Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco claim he refused to travel Kylian Mbappe breaks Just Fontaine’s record in France’s win over Greece Northern Ireland stunned as Kazakhstan substitute Abat Aimbetov nets late winner

Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny has insisted “nothing is impossible” as he plots Euro 2024 qualifying victories over European superpowers France and the Netherlands in September. Kenny’s men belatedly opened their Group B account with a 3-0 victory over Gibraltar at the Aviva Stadium on Monday evening to ease at least a little of the disappointment of Friday night’s 2-1 defeat in Greece. Ireland’s hopes of securing one of the top two spots look forlorn unless they can pull off a series of shock results, but that is exactly what Kenny intends to do. Asked what his message was to the players, he replied: “It’s a seven-day window just, it’s a short window. It’s France on a Thursday night in Paris and Holland on a Sunday night here in the Aviva Stadium, so it’s a really, really exciting window. “They’re two really tough games, there’s no doubt about it, but very exciting games. We’ve just got to make sure we’re well prepared for them. They’re epic games. “At the same time, nothing is impossible, that’s how we feel about it. “Obviously we pushed France very close [at home]. I know this is different in Paris, but it will be an interesting game for us and very exciting, the two games.” For 45 minutes, Ireland hammered away at the visitors, but without the craft, pace or guile to break them down, although it took a fine reaction save from goalkeeper Dayle Coleing to deny Jamie McGrath seconds before the break. The game changed, however, with Celtic winger Mikey Johnston’s half-time introduction and he had already sparked terror in the Gibraltar defence on three occasions when he ran on to Will Smallbone’s half-blocked free-kick and stabbed into the empty net for his first senior international goal. Evan Ferguson increased the lead within seven minutes and substitute Adam Idah finally opened his Ireland account in stoppage time to secure the first points of the campaign at the third attempt. Asked if Johnston, whose four caps to date have come from the bench, could make a similar impact over 90 minutes, Kenny said: “He’s been terrific. Definitely he can start matches. I had it in my head that probably he was going to start, but it didn’t happen for him in Greece. “We’re still obviously a bit disappointed about Greece, we’re not getting away from that, we were disappointed with that. It wasn’t his night, certainly, when he came on, but he has terrific talent, I really appreciate his talent. “He’s a Celtic player and it will be interesting if he goes back there or not, we’ll see how his career goes over the summer.” Victory over the team ranked 201st in the world – Gibraltar have now lost 3-0 to all four of the other teams in the group – is unlikely to silence Kenny’s critics, but it at least gets them off the mark. Kenny said: “We obviously made life difficult for ourselves after Friday night. But Greece are a good team. They have to play Holland twice, we have to play Holland twice, and France in France. We still have every chance and we just have to back ourselves in those windows. Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny “In my opinion, France will win the group, so we just have to have good September and October windows. “The return game with Greece will be a different game, and obviously tough games against Holland and France. But we still have every chance and we just have to back ourselves in those windows.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘Exceptional’ Bukayo Saka lauded by Gareth Southgate after England romp Rob Page insists Wales can still qualify despite Turkey defeat Michael O’Neill feels Northern Ireland did not deserve to lose to Kazakhstan

Rob Page insists Wales can still automatically qualify for Euro 2024 next summer, despite suffering a second successive group defeat in Turkey. Wales suffered a 2-0 loss in Samsun on the back of Friday’s horror show against Armenia, when opponents ranked 97th in the world claimed a 4-2 victory in Cardiff. Having reached the halfway point of their eight-game campaign, Wales are five points behind leaders Turkey and two adrift of Armenia who have a game in hand. Group favourites Croatia are level on points with Wales having played two fewer games. Wales are almost certainly guaranteed a play-off spot through their Nations League ranking, but manager Page insists Wales can secure one of the automatic two qualifying spots on offer in Group D. “Absolutely (I believe that),” said Page, who has overseen just one win in 12 games since Wales qualified for the World Cup last June. “To do it, we need to get both sides of the game bang on and do it really well, if we are to be successful. “It’s been a frustrating camp but there have been so many lessons to learn from it. “We will address it. We go into every game to win it. It just means it’s really important we get wins at home and get as many points from them.” Wales were left with an uphill task from the 41st minute when midfielder Joe Morrell caught Ferdi Kadioglu high with his studs and was sent off. It was Wales’ second red card in as many games after Kieffer Moore was dismissed against Armenia. Danny Ward saved Hakan Calhanoglu’s 64th-minute penalty after Aaron Ramsey had handled Kadioglu’s cross. But Turkey’s pressure told as substitutes Umut Nayir and Arda Guler scored in the final 18 minutes. Page said: “Whenever you come to Turkey away, you know it’s a tough test. “Having said that, before the sending off, I thought we matched them and I was really pleased with the performance defensively, which we obviously addressed off the back of Friday’s result. “With the ball I thought we got Aaron and others in great positions up the pitch and we were brave to play through them. “We looked at the footage and we thought that was an area we could exploit and that was working up until the sending off happens. Completely changes the game. “Up until the 70th minute I thought we defended our box really well, only one cross into our own box and it cost us, that first goal. “He (Morrell) is not intentionally doing it. He’s got his eye on the ball, but when you put your foot that high, you run the risk of getting a red card. “He knows it. There’s nobody more disappointed than Joe in the changing room.” Turkey boss Stefan Kuntz was relieved to get the victory, especially after his side twice had the ball in the net only to be denied by VAR checks. Kuntz said: “I might need to wait next time until I cheer. It’s been a difficult time for us and for the fans and in the second half we needed to be calmer. “We tried to manage the game in the second half and the fans were very helpful.”

Thibaut Courtois has hit back at Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco and maintained he pulled out of the squad for Tuesday’s European Championship qualifier in Estonia due to a knee injury. Earlier Tedesco insisted the Real Madrid goalkeeper had refused to travel for the match due to being “offended” at being overlooked for the captaincy against Austria on Saturday. Tedesco claimed Courtois told him after the Austria game that he was going home, and rejected rumours of a medical issue, telling a press conference: “I wish I could say it’s an injury, but I can’t lie.” However Tedesco’s claims have infuriated Courtois, who issued a strongly-worded statement on his personal website which refuted the coach’s claims. “This afternoon I was surprised to hear the coach’s press conference in which he gave a partial and subjective account of a private conversation we had after the match against Austria,” wrote Courtois. “I want to make it clear that it is not the first time or the last time that I talk to a coach about issues related to a locker room, but it is the first time that someone decides to tell it publicly. I insist that in no case have I demanded anything and that I have spoken to my team-mate Romelu Lukaku to clarify any circumstances relating to this situation. Thibaut Courtois “I am deeply disappointed with this, but I want to make it clear that the coach’s assessments do not fit with reality.” Along with Romelu Lukaku, Courtois is one of two Belgium vice-captains, and it was Lukaku who was given the nod to wear the armband against Austria in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, despite Courtois celebrating his 100th cap. Courtois added: “I insist that in no case have I demanded anything and that I have spoken to my team-mate Romelu Lukaku to clarify any circumstances relating to this situation. “Furthermore yesterday afternoon I underwent a check-up for a problem in my right knee. The medical team of my club and the national team were in contact and reviewed all the corresponding material to make the decision to leave the training camp.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Substitute Mikey Johnston belatedly ignited the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifying campaign to spare manager Stephen Kenny further punishment at the hands of Gibraltar. The Celtic winger, who spent last season on loan with Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, scored his first senior international goal within seven minutes of his half-time introduction with his team-mates having left the pitch to a less than rapturous reception after being kept at bay by the side ranked 201st in the world. Evan Ferguson helped himself to his second Ireland goal seven minutes later and substitute Adam Idah his first in stoppage time to cement at 3-0 victory on a night when anything other than a comfortable victory would have heaped further pressure on Kenny, who had found himself in the firing line once again in the wake of Friday night’s 2-1 Group B defeat in Greece. A fifth win in 24 competitive matches, particularly given the nature of the opposition, is unlikely to silence his critics and qualification still looks distinctly unlikely unless they can beat either France or the Netherlands – or perhaps both – in September. However, Johnston’s second-half cameo finally injected the pace and devilment his side had lacked before the break to bring a little light relief. Kenny made five changes to the side which turned in such a laboured display in defeat in Greece, one of them enforced by Matt Doherty’s red card in Athens with James McClean, winning his 100th cap, Dara O’Shea, Jamie McGrath, Jason Knight and Michael Obafemi replacing the former Atletico Madrid full-back, Darragh Lenihan, Callum O’Dowda, Jayson Molumby and Idah. His side might have been ahead within seconds of kick-off when Knight, starting at right wing-back, crossed for McGrath to shoot first time and keeper Dayle Coleing needed two attempts to gather the ball, and defender Kian Ronan sliced another teasing Knight delivery anxiously over his own crossbar with three minutes gone. As expected, the visitors sat deep and invited Ireland to break them down with defenders Nathan Collins and O’Shea repeatedly finding themselves with time and space, but not the craft to slide the ball through the massed ranks of white shirts. O’Shea curled a 17th-minute shot straight into Coleing’s midriff and Obafemi should have scored two minutes later, completely missing his kick as he attempted to convert Knight’s near-post cross. As Kenny’s men warmed to their task, Ferguson thumped a drive at Coleing from the edge of the box and then glanced a 30th-minute header across goal from McClean’s cross with the keeper in no man’s land. McClean headed wide from yet another Knight cross after the Derby midfielder had surged past defender Jayce Olivero five minutes later, and Josh Cullen whipped an attempt into Coleing’s waiting arms as half-time approached. It took a fine save from the Gibraltar keeper to keep out McGrath’s rasping 44th-minute strike after Obafemi and Ferguson had used their strength to grind out an opportunity for him, but Ireland largely lacked both penetration and tempo and the half-time whistle was greeted by a smattering of boos. Kenny made a significant change at the break when he withdrew central defender Collins and replaced him with Johnston and switched to a 4-3-3 formation, and it took the newcomer little time to make an impact. It was he who made the breakthrough with 52 minutes gone when, after Will Smallbone’s free-kick, awarded for handball against Bernardo Lopes, had squirmed through the defensive wall, he tapped gleefully into the empty net to ease the tension among a crowd of 42,156 at the Aviva Stadium. The mood took a further turn for the better seven minutes later when Ferguson met McClean’s cross with a firm downward header to effectively wrap up the points, and the centurion was provider once again at the death, setting up Idah to finally open his account with a simple header. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Northern Ireland stunned as Kazakhstan substitute Abat Aimbetov nets late winner Ten-man Wales’ Euro 2024 qualification hopes further dented by defeat in Turkey I’ve been there – Nathan Lyon feels for Moeen Ali over finger problem

Wales’ Euro 2024 qualification hopes suffered another blow with a 2-0 defeat to Turkey as they once again finished with 10 men. Substitutes Umut Nayir and Arda Guler scored in the final 18 minutes on a chaotic night in Samsun when Turkey had two goals disallowed, a penalty saved and Wales midfielder Joe Morrell was sent off before half-time. Wales were reduced to 10 for the second successive game – and for the third time in six matches – four minutes before the break when Morrell caught Ferdi Kadioglu with his studs. It was a stupid challenge and from that moment Wales, despite no lack of effort or brave defending, were heading for a second crushing loss in four days. The pressure on manager Rob Page had been ramped up by Friday’s shock 4-2 home defeat to Armenia – opponents ranked 97 in the world. There was more bad news before kick-off as Armenia’s stoppage-time penalty secured a 2-1 win over Latvia and took them above Wales, who dropped to fourth in Group D. After a poor World Cup when Wales finished bottom of their group and scored a solitary penalty, some fans voiced their frustration as Page attempted to explain the reasons behind a terrible run of one win in 11 games. Page said Wales were a team in transition after the departures of Gareth Bale, Joe Allen and others, and two more senior players were also absent at a noisy Samsun 19 Mayis Stadium. Vice-captain Ben Davies had stayed at home for the birth of his first child and Kieffer Moore was suspended after being sent off against Armenia. Neco Williams and Morrell filled the gap as Page began by using Brennan Johnson as a lone striker. Turkey were buoyed by Friday’s last-gasp 3-2 win in Latvia that had taken them top and were seeking to avenge their defeat to Wales at the Euro 2020 finals in Baku. Johnson showed his pace early on to fire into the side-netting, but there was a worrying moment for Wales as the Nottingham Forest forward gingerly got back on his feet. Turkey thought they had taken the lead after nine minutes when Chris Mepham turned Zeki Celik’s cross into his own net. But after a VAR glitch where the usual on-screen lines to determine offside could not be used, referee Fabio Maresca went to the pitchside monitor himself to judge whether the goal should stand. Much to Wales’ relief, the Italian official ruled that Celik was in an offside position when he received the ball and the goal was disallowed. Kerem Akturkoglu sent the first shot in anger over the crossbar and Harry Wilson’s free-kick was deflected for a corner. But the contest tilted Turkey’s way near half-time as Morrell left Kadioglu in a heap with a tender thigh – a challenge that Maresca correctly ruled as serious foul play. Danny Ward held Orkun Koku’s stinging effort but Turkey goalkeeper Mert Gunok was stretched even further just after the restart by Wilson’s 25-yard free-kick, with Dan James unable to make the most of the rebound. The match was being played almost entirely in the Wales half and Turkey were presented with a golden opportunity to break the deadlock after 64 minutes when skipper Aaron Ramsey handled Kadioglu’s cross. Calhanoglu smashed his penalty to Ward’s right but the goalkeeper guessed correctly and pushed the ball away. Turkey did have the ball in the Wales net moments later, only for Umut’s effort to be ruled out for handball. But Nayir was not to be denied a second time after 72 minutes, the substitute’s header crossing the line despite the best efforts of Ward to keep it out. Guler ended the contest 10 minutes from time with a spectacular effort, leaving Wales with much to do in the second half of the campaign to book an automatic qualifying place for next summer’s finals in Germany and not rely on the play-offs route. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Northern Ireland stunned as Kazakhstan substitute Abat Aimbetov nets late winner Mikey Johnston helps Republic of Ireland to much-needed win over Gibraltar I’ve been there – Nathan Lyon feels for Moeen Ali over finger problem

Toothless Northern Ireland were stunned as Kazakhstan substitute Abat Aimbetov struck at the death to snatch a 1-0 Euro 2024 qualifying victory at Windsor Park. As Northern Ireland had been piling forward in search of a late winner themselves, Aimbetov broke from his own half, riding Craig Cathcart’s challenge and capitalising when a sliding Paddy McNair got in the way of Ciaron Brown, slotting the ball past Bailey Peacock-Farrell to stun the home crowd. Michael O’Neill had said he was not thinking about qualifying for next summer’s finals in the wake of Friday’s 1-0 defeat in Denmark, and this result is another huge blow as they have only three points, earned against minnows San Marino, from their opening four games. When Northern Ireland left Copenhagen after Friday’s 1-0 defeat there was optimism about the way they had battled, only denied a late equaliser by a marginal offside, but the mood was very different here as the final whistle was greeted with boos. Northern Ireland’s inability to overcome a side 50 places below them in the rankings at home showed the limitations of this young squad, robbed of experience by injuries to senior players. Another blank means Northern Ireland have only scored two in their last nine home matches in qualifying campaigns, with the lack of quality in the final third thwarting their ambitions. O’Neill had spoken about the difficulty of adjusting his side’s mindset from the predominantly defensive outlook they had in Copenhagen on Friday to playing on the front foot at home, but even though they kept Kazakhstan pegged back for long patches, there were only occasional threats. Cathcart returned from the back injury that kept him out on Friday but there was no Conor Bradley, sidelined after hyperextending his knee in Copenhagen, and his attacking threat was missed. Trai Hume, switched to right back in place of Bradley, sent an early shot over from the edge of the box before Dion Charles, back in ahead of Shayne Lavery, failed to keep a shot down after being played in by Shea Charles. But arguably the best chance of the half belonged to Kazakhstan as Maxim Samorodov raced away from McNair and turned inside Hume, only to drag his shot wide of the post from eight yards with just Peacock-Farrell to beat. Northern Ireland responded well. Isaac Price’s shot from the edge of the box deflected off Abzal Beysebekov, looping away from the goalkeeper and heading just wide of the post. From the resulting corner, McNair headed back into the danger zone but Cathcart could not keep it down from only four yards out. The tempo soon dipped, Northern Ireland seemingly struggling for new ideas, and they did not threaten again until the 44th minute. Dion Charles stood the ball up for George Saville but the Millwall midfielder, still without an international goal after 46 caps, headed over from close range. The half ended with Baktiyor Zainutdinov flashing a shot wide while surrounded by Northern Ireland defenders. Northern Ireland’s frustrations continued after the break. Saville flashed the ball across the face of goal early in the half – the cross only needed a touch but there was nobody there to add it. Price had the chance to release Dion Charles as Northern Ireland tried to break from a Kazakhstan corner, but he played the ball behind the Bolton forward when there was half a pitch to run in to. The Windsor Park atmosphere was flat, the tiny pocket of Kazakhstan fans audible over the murmurs coming from the Kop. Conor McMenamin replaced Jonny Evans, soon seen with an ice pack on his shoulder, and more attacking reinforcements came in the shape of Lavery and Dale Taylor, but besides an angled McMenamin shot tipped over by Igor Shatskiy, there was little to excite the crowd before Aimbetov’s killer late blow. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Mikey Johnston helps Republic of Ireland to much-needed win over Gibraltar Ten-man Wales’ Euro 2024 qualification hopes further dented by defeat in Turkey I’ve been there – Nathan Lyon feels for Moeen Ali over finger problem

Kylian Mbappe set another record as France stretched their 100 per cent start in European Championship qualifying Group B with a 1-0 win over Greece in Paris. Mbappe’s 55th-minute penalty was his 54th goal of the season and took him clear of Just Fontaine to become the top French scorer in a single club and international campaign. But there was an air of fortune about his winner after Odysseas Vlachodimos palmed away his initial penalty only for the referee to spot an infringement and order the kick to be retaken. Kolo Muani and Jules Kounde also had good chances for France while Greece’s task became harder after Konstantinos Mavropanos was sent off for a foul on Muani in the 69th minute. In the same group Ireland took 52 minutes to break through Gibraltar’s defence before goals from Mikey Johnston, Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah secured a 3-0 win in Dublin. In Group C, Ukraine could count themselves lucky to strengthen their hold on second place behind free-scoring England, who brushed aside North Macedonia 7-0. The Ukrainians laboured against bottom side Malta in Trnava, and it took a fortuitous 72nd-minute penalty from Viktor Tsygankov to eke out a 1-0 win. In Group D, Armenia also had a stroke of fortune as it took an injury-time penalty from Tigran Barseghyan to claim a 2-1 win over Latvia and build on the weekend’s stunning win over Wales in Cardiff. There was more misery for the Welsh, who had Joe Morrell sent off and fell to a 2-0 defeat to top-placed Turkey, for whom Umut Nayir and Arda Guler scored second-half goals. Daniel Hakans scored a hat-trick as Group H leaders Finland made it four wins out of five with a comfortable 6-0 win over San Marino. Slovenia and Denmark shared a 1-1 draw in Ljubljana, meaning Kazakhstan jumped into second place courtesy of Abat Aymbetov’s 88th-minute strike that gave them a shock 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in Belfast. Switzerland lost their 100 per cent record in Group I after they were pegged back by two late goals at home to Romania. The Swiss looked set to be coasting to a fourth straight win after two first-half goals from Mohamed Amdouni. But Romania hit back, reducing the deficit through Valentin Mihaila in the 89th minute before the same player struck again to snatch a point two minutes into injury time. Israel retained their push for a qualifying place after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Andorra while Belarus earned their first points of the campaign with a 2-1 win over Kosovo. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Northern Ireland stunned as Kazakhstan substitute Abat Aimbetov nets late winner Mikey Johnston helps Republic of Ireland to much-needed win over Gibraltar Ten-man Wales’ Euro 2024 qualification hopes further dented by defeat in Turkey

Bukayo Saka scored a jaw-dropping first career hat-trick as rampant England roared to a 7-0 victory against North Macedonia in Monday’s memorable Euro 2024 qualifier. Gareth Southgate’s side are all but assured of making it to Germany having reached the halfway point of qualification with four wins from their four Group C games. Harry Kane struck twice in an Old Trafford annihilation that also saw Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips get in on the act, but ever-improving talent Saka was the star of the show with his tremendous treble. The 21-year-old is at the heart of a catchy new chant about England going to Berlin and showed just why he is considered one of the world’s best young talents. Saka slammed home from a tight angle after Kane’s opener – the sixth straight game he has scored in – and before Rashford’s goal at his home ground. The young forward left the 70,708 in attendance stunned immediately after the break when scoring a sensational left-footed strike from a similarly impressive pass by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Saka soon completed the first hat-trick of his senior career with a cool finish that was complemented by substitute Phillips’ tap-in and a Kane spot-kick. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has left the club by mutual consent just three weeks after leading the Owls to promotion from League One. Moore, 49, who guided the Owls to the Sky Bet Championship via the play-offs last month, departs Hillsborough after just over two years in the job. His backroom staff have also left, the club have announced. Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri told the club’s official website: “Both parties believe that now is the right time we go our separate ways. “The journey of Sheffield Wednesday with Darren has been in many ways unique and always as a team. In the football industry, journeys come to an end and now is that time, which we both agree. “The mutual respect we have for each other is immense on a personal and professional basis and I offer my sincere thanks for the dedication and commitment Darren has given to our club. Darren will always be welcome at Hillsborough.” The club said the search for a new manager to lead them in the second tier next season was under way. Former West Brom and Doncaster boss Moore said: “I would like to take this time to acknowledge the chairman, Mr Chansiri, for giving me the opportunity to manage this great football club in Sheffield Wednesday, it’s been a journey in every sense. “Both the chairman and myself have been determined to get this club back into the Championship. “I’m delighted this has been achieved, and I hope the football club continues to develop and will soon fulfil the dream of mine, which was to take them back to the Premier League where they belong.” Moore steered the Owls to a 1-0 win over Barnsley after extra time in the League One play-off final 21 days ago after they had overcome an unprecedented 4-0 first-leg deficit in their semi-final against Peterborough. He said he wanted to thank all Wednesday fans “from the bottom of my heart” for their passion and support. Moore added: “This was most apparent during the second leg of the play-offs at Hillsborough when so many people around the country thought it wasn’t possible, we rallied together to achieve the impossible. “The scenes I witnessed from the technical area at Wembley, especially for the winning goal, will be images I will never forget.” The Owls were in the Championship’s bottom three when Moore replaced the sacked Tony Pulis in March 2021 and were relegated at the end of that season. They lost to Sunderland in the League One play-off semi-finals in 2022 and returned to the Championship via the play-offs last season having set a new club record of 23 league games unbeaten before defeat to Barnsley in March. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tom Watson calls for answers from PGA Tour commissioner over new partnership England set Australia target of 281 on day four of thrilling first Ashes Test A closer look at Rory McIlroy’s long wait for a fifth major crown