England wrapped up a routine victory against the Republic of Ireland to take one step closer to Euro 2025 qualification.

On a wet night at Carrow Road, the Lionesses went in front early when Alessia Russo rounded goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan and slotted into an empty net after a smart first-time pass from Beth Mead.

They doubled their advantage in the second half through Georgia Stanway's penalty after Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey dragged down Lauren Hemp in the box.

The Republic of Ireland got a goal back in the final seconds as Julie Russell poked the ball past goalkeeper Hannah Hampton from close range after a scramble in the box.

The Lionesses dominated early on and should have scored more but Jess Carter, Hemp and Mead were all denied by Brosnan.

They lacked ruthlessness despite creating chances but they got the job done and will secure their place at next year's tournament if they avoid defeat against Sweden in their final qualifier.

Sarina Wiegman's side, who are looking to defend their European crown, travel to Gothenburg on Tuesday (18:00 BST), while the Republic of Ireland are still seeking a first point in qualifying when they face France next.

The top two teams in each League A group qualify automatically for Euro 2025. The other two sides drop into the play-offs.

England are second in the group after France beat Sweden 2-1 in Friday's other match, while the Republic of Ireland are bottom.

England knew two victories in their last two qualifying matches would secure a spot in Switzerland next year and this was one step towards achieving that.

After a rocky year, where performances have dipped and results have been up and down, this felt like a more routine win for England, even if there was ultimately only one goal in it.

They dominated large periods and got the early goal they needed - much like they did in Dublin when they wrapped up a 2-0 victory.

But there were still moments of sloppiness and it was by no means a perfect performance.

A few lapses of concentration led to them losing possession in dangerous areas in the first half, with goalkeeper Hampton needing to be on her toes to clear, while England's midfield were too passive on occasions.

They were made to pay for a defensive error deep in stoppage time as Megan Campbell's trademark long throw caused problems, and Tyler Toland's flick-on was pounced on by Russell, who swivelled and stabbed it past Hampton.

Going forward, England remained a threat - Manchester City midfielder Jess Park was given an opportunity to impress and she played well, though lacked a clinical edge in the penalty area.

Mead was busy in the first half and Hemp was eager to have an impact on her return to her home city of Norwich - where she spent the majority of her youth career - and she did by winning the penalty.

Overall, it was a performance that did the job for England, rather than one to entertain.

For the Republic of Ireland, it was always going to be a tough ask in a group containing three of the world’s top six ranked nations and they are already consigned to a place in the play-offs.

They showed resistance again in defence for large spells and had something to celebrate when their efforts paid off late on with a deserved goal.

It will be another tough test for them on Tuesday when they host France and they could end the qualifying campaign having not picked up a single point.

The positives were that Wiegman was able to make changes throughout to save energy for the deciding showdown against Sweden next week, as well as handing senior debuts to Tottenham forward Jess Naz and Chelsea's Aggie Beever-Jones.

Fans chanted "football's coming home" in the stands at full-time and sang "Sweet Caroline" with a nod to their success in 2022 and in anticipation of England's men preparing for their own European final against Spain on Sunday.

And afterwards, despite being frustrated by a lack of ruthlessness, Wiegman was pleased with the performances of debutants Naz and Beever-Jones.

"They have been with us in training sessions and have been impressive," said Wiegman.

"We brought Jess Naz on a little earlier. She can steal balls from players. In possession she has so much depth and is so quick with her running in behind.

"Aggie is so quick with her feet. They are learning and are really eager. They are trying to step up."

Wiegman also confirmed Fran Kirby missed out because of illness this week but has returned to training and is expected to be available to play against Sweden.