Carter hits her second England hat-trick as Lionesses roar

Danielle Carter marked her second England cap with a second hat-trick as Mark Sampson’s team cemented their place at the top of Euro 2017 qualifying Group 7 at Meadow Lane.

The Arsenal forward, who hit the winner in May’s SSE Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, notched a treble against Estonia on her England debut in Tallinn 12 months ago.

And, after a swift first-half double to go with Jill Scott’s header, Carter ensured she would have another match ball to take home with her third on 56 minutes, before Karen Carney finished matters with a late penalty.

England, safely qualified already for next summer’s finals in Netherlands, set the tone for a dominant evening from the off.

Lucy Bronze raced down the right-flank and picked out Manchester City team-mate Nikita Parris, making her first start for her country, but she could not direct her header on target.

With just nine minutes on the clock though, England made the breakthrough. Again it was Bronze who supplied the pass, Carter collected the ball at the near post, spun away from defender Inna Zlidnis and fired in low across goal.

Danielle Carter is congratulated by team-mates after scoring the opener

Three minutes later Scott had the home team’s second, nodding in from close range after Parris’s initial effort had bounced back off the crossbar.

Steph Houghton was next to try her luck, the captain with a curling free-kick from 20 yards that keeper Getter Laar was equal to.

Carter had her second of the evening on 17 minutes. After exchanging passes with Parris, the Arsenal forward finished coolly from inside the six-yard box.

Carter was denied her hat-trick on the half-hour when, after collecting the ball from Gemma Davison, her pot-shot from just inside the box was pushed behind the post by the busy Laar. 

After the break Parris was inches away from getting the goal her performance deserved.

The City forward raced in behind the defence but, with only keeper Laar to beat, saw her low drive creep wide of the far post.

Carter grabbed her second treble in as many England appearances when Laar punched Carney’s free-kick straight into the path of the 23-year-old, who slotted into the empty net from 10 yards.

A constant thorn in Estonia’s side, Carter looked to turned provider when she poked the ball through to Arsenal team-mate Jordan Nobbs with 20 minutes to go but the midfielder struck straight at Laar.

Nobbs again went close to number five, but blazed wide after Estonia had failed to clear Demi Stokes’s low cross and Carter then volleyed over from close range.

There was still time for Carney to notch England's 30th goal of this qualifying campaign from the penalty spot after she had been bundled over inside the box.

The Lionesses, who wore black armbands to mark the recent passing of Sylvia Gore and Zoe Tynan, travel to Belgium on Tuesday and will finish top of Group 7 should they avoid defeat.

England (3-5-2): 1 Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool); 2 Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), 5 Steph Houghton (capt; Manchester City), 6 Jo Potter (Notts County); 7 Gemma Davison (Chelsea), 4 Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), 8 Jill Scott (Manchester City), 10 Karen Carney (Chelsea), 3 Demi Stokes (Manchester City); 9 Nikita Parris (Manchester City), 11 Danielle Carter (Arsenal).

Substitutes: 18 Rachel Daly (Houston Dash) for Parris 60, 16 Jade Moore (Notts County) for J Scott 62, 12 Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea) for Davison 74

Substitutes not used: 13 Rebecca Spencer (Chelsea), 14 Alex Scott (Arsenal), 15 Claire Rafferty (Chelsea), 17 Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City).

Goals: Carter 9, 17, 56, J Scott 13, Carney 90+4.

Head coach: Mark Sampson

Estonia (4-4-2): 1 Getter Laar; 19 Liis Lepik, 4 Pille Raadik, 15 Inna Zlidnis, 5 Ragne Hindrimae; 13 Kristina Bannikova, 8 Kaire Palmaru, 18 Kethy Ounpuu, 17 Eneli Vals, 7 Katrin Loo, 9 Signy Aarna.

Substitutes: 3 Aljona Sasova for Palmaru 57, 10 Vlada Kubassova for Bannikova 70, 11 Merily Toom for Vals 79

Substitutes not used: 22 Getriin Strigin, 14 Lisette Tammik, 16 Kelly Rosen, 20 Ketlin Saar.

Head coach: Keith Boanas

Attendance: 7,052