This was England's first Home Championship victory since April 1961, but even though they won the manner in which they achieved it was not wholly satisfying. On a sunny afternoon England blooded three more new caps but took a large part of the game before they finally got their act together.

After quickly assuming command the visitors took the lead in the eighth minute. Jimmy Greaves, giving his best England display for many months, seized on a rebound to head past Irvine. The number ten was outstanding and continually kept the Irish defence on their toes with his constant probing and lightning strikes. Several of his shots were blocked and he brought the best out of Irvine.

Despite the liveliness of Greaves, there was a general lack of pattern about England's play. Their defence looked sound enough around the new centre-half, Brian Labone, and Freddie Hill showed some lovely flair in midfield. However, judging it on the high standards of international football it must be said that the general approach play was weak. Mike Hellawell showed flashes of his terrific speed down the wing but Alan Peacock and Mike O'Grady looked uninspired.

The big crowd urged Ireland on but, despite good work by Nicholson, Blanchflower and McIlroy in midfield, the game tended to drift along aimlessly. However, all that changed after an hour's play. McIlroy's cross-field pass seemed to be covered by Ron Springett but JImmy Armfield, under severe pressure from Barr, diverted the ball into his own net to give the Irish their equalizer. That suddenly brought the crowd to life again and they roared their approval. Despite a lot of pressure, though, the England defence remained solid with Bobby Moore looking particularly impressive.

After this bout of Irish dominance, England gradually pulled themselves together again and in the last quarter of an hour, after resuming control, they surged forward to snatch victory. A superb match-winning pass through the centre by Greaves put O'Grady clear. The English winger with the Irish-sounding name celebrated his debut with a lovely strike wide of Irvine.

Moments later England went 3-1 up. O'Grady was again the goalscorer, taking a pass from Peacock before shooting into the Irish net. That settled the result but England's mixed performance had given plenty of food for thought during the coming months. There were some plusses, though, and Hill looked extremely promising. He was, on one occasion, desperately unlucky not to score when his 20-yard drive thudded against a post before being cleared.
  

Mike O'Grady, twenty-year-old Huddersfield winger and the fifth son of an Irishman, was the latest player tried at outside-left. He must have shaken the skeletons of his ancestors as he sank Northern Ireland with two goals. Jimmy Greaves, another player with deep Irish roots, also scored in a match that featured the debut at centre-half of Brian Labone.
  

Source Notes

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats
Norman Giller, Football Author
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CG