Cymru exit EURO 2025 with defeat to England

England 6-1 Cymru

• Cymru’s tournament comes to an end in St. Gallen
• England score four first half goals before subs Mead and Beever-Jones net after the break
• Hannah Cain hammers home consolation for Cymru

The Cymru adventure at UEFA EURO 2025 came to an end with a 6-1 defeat to England in St. Gallen. 

The Lionesses were four goals ahead at half-time before Beth Mead added a fifth after the break, and while Hannah Cain grabbed a consolation for Cymru, England made it six late on through Aggie Beever-Jones. 

Rhian Wilkinson made three changes to the starting XI from Wednesday’s defeat to France, with Olivia Clark coming back in between the sticks, Rhiannon Roberts restored in defence and Carrie Jones handed her first major tournament start. Safia Middleton-Patel, Josie Green and Kayleigh Barton dropped to the bench. 

It was always going to be a difficult test against the reigning EURO champions, but Cymru were behind after just 13 minutes. Carrie Jones was penalised for a foul on Georgia Stanway, which the referee indicated was outside of the box but a lengthy VAR check changed the decision to a penalty. Stanway stepped up to take the spot-kick herself and scored low to Clark’s right. 

Cymru had a chance to equalise on 20 minutes when Jess Fishlock fired a shot over the bar, but they were punished for that miss soon after as Ella Toone doubled England’s lead. Alessia Russo got to a loose ball in the box ahead of Clark and squared it for Toone, who saw her first shot blocked on the line by Lily Woodham but the Manchester United forward fired home at the second attempt. 

There remained no lack of determination from Cymru and Fishlock was again at the heart of things as she held the ball up well on the edge of the box before laying it off to captain Angharad James who forced a save out of Hannah Hampton with a low curling shot. 

However, England got their third goal on the half hour mark. Toone’s overlapping run down the right saw her receive a pass from Lauren James and she crossed to the back post where Lauren Hemp was waiting to head home. Clark got a touch but could not keep it out. 

It was a similar scenario for the Lionesses’ fourth goal just before half-time. James cleverly dinked the ball over to Toone in the box and she cut it back for Russo in the middle to take a touch and finish from close range. 

Despite the scoreline, it was Cymru who finished the first half on the front foot with two big chances in stoppage time. Rachel Rowe fired a shot over from the edge of the box, before sloppy play from England gifted Fishlock a chance but she dragged her effort wide. 

The England pressure did not relent after the break as Clark was forced to tip substitute Jess Park’s volley onto the post, before Rhiannon Roberts cleared the ball away on the line. Clark made another good save soon after, making herself big to deny Stanway a second goal of the evening. 

England knew their job was done and the tempo of the game slowed as the second half wore on, but they grabbed a fifth goal on 72 minutes through substitute Beth Mead. After being teed up in the box by Aggie Beever-Jones, the Arsenal striker turned away from Josie Green and fired low past Clark. 

Despite the tournament’s challenging results, there have been memorable moments for Cymru and Hannah Cain added another when she found the scoresheet on 76 minutes. It was a superb goal too, as Fishlock surged forward from her own half and released a perfect pass through to Cain who hammered a ferocious first time finish into the roof of the net past Hampton. 

There was a sixth goal for England in the closing stages as Mead crossed from the right and found Beever-Jones in the middle who headed home from close range.