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Mohamed Saeed

'Hurry up!' - Lauren Hemp left on edge awaiting VAR review as Lionesses star says she 'should've kicked it harder' after narrow win vs Spain

England
L. Hemp
Spain
World Cup Qualification UEFA
K. Walsh
Women's football

Lauren Hemp was the hero at Wembley as early as the third minute, but the Manchester City winger admitted she was sweating over whether her decisive strike had actually crossed the line. The Lionesses secured a vital 1-0 victory over world champions Spain in their 2027 World Cup qualifying clash, moving three points clear at the top of Group A3.

  • Hemp’s relief after nervy goal review

    Hemp provided the sparks in a heavyweight clash between the European and world champions, but her match-winning moment was shrouded in a brief moment of uncertainty.

    Pouncing on a loose ball from a corner in the early stages of the game, Hemp managed to scramble it home through a crowd of bodies, eventually seeing the goal confirmed after a tense wait for the officials to signal.

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  • Lauren Hemp England Women 2026Getty Images

    What Hemp said

    Reflecting on the goal that moved the Lionesses to nine points from three games, Hemp said: "I was pretty sure to be honest. I did see it cross the line and I was just looking at the ref like: 'Hurry up and say that went in'. It was nice to score at Wembley".

    she added: "I should've kicked it a bit harder so it actually went in the net. At times it weren't pretty, but we got the job done."

  • Walsh reaches century of caps

    The night was also a landmark occasion for midfield metronome Keira Walsh, who captained the side on the night of her 100th international appearance.

    Addressing her milestone, Walsh said: "Obviously it's not something I ever thought would be possible. To do it 100 times, I never take it for granted."

    Goalscorer Hemp added her own tribute to her teammate: "Keira is a fantastic player, I've known her since I was young and she was teaching me the ways. It's great to have someone like Keira in the team. I'm really proud of her reaching 100. She carries the team at points when we need her to. She's the engine".

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    Hampton saves the day

    While Hemp’s goal made the difference on the scoresheet, it was goalkeeper Hannah Hampton who ensured all three points remained in London. Spain pushed hard in the closing stages, hitting the woodwork through Olga Carmona and Vicky Lopez, before Hampton produced a stunning point-blank save to deny Edna Imade’s header in the dying minutes.

    Hemp was quick to acknowledge the importance of the stop, saying: "It was a really resilient performance and we dominated both boxes, so an important win. We would have loved to have dominated more of the ball but sometimes games happen like this. It was a very gutsy performance".