Lee Carsley's final game in temporary charge of the England senior squad was tense for over half its duration.

In fact, some fans and even the broadcast commentary team were wondering if a banana peel was forthcoming to cap the Three Lions' worst calendar year in quite some time in terms of home fixtures.

However, at the 51-minute mark, their Nations League clash against Ireland changed. Fast.

The delicate deadlock was broken by Harry Kane's superb pass to send Jude Bellingham in, which forced Celtic defender Liam Scales into conceding a penalty and receiving a red card.

Kane converted the spot kick in the 53rd minute, then Anthony Gordon and Conor Gallagher feasted on the 11-on-10 advantage with goals in the 56th and 58th minutes for 3-0.

The visitors would have fancied their chances at continuing to frustrate and concern England towards perhaps stunning them with a winner, until it all went to pot like that within one seven-minute spell.

And later on, after things had calmed down for a bit, the hosts put a pair of cherries on the cake when Jarrod Bowen and debutant Taylor Harwood-Bellis scored their first England goals to make it 5-0.

Harwood-Bellis' goal told one incredible story in itself, given he's the future son-in-law of Ireland legend Roy Keane, who provided studio analysis of the game for ITV in Britain.