England will fight for fifth place on Saturday after an 11-6 victory over Ireland in their play-in game at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships on Friday.

Alex Drewe, Leah Catton, Iandra Lamplugh, and Katie Greenwood scored a brace each to ensure England can finish as high as fifth-place in their first ever major tournament.

The game started slowly with both teams starting to feel the effects of playing six games in seven days but it was England who eventually broke the deadlock after six minutes when Iandra Lamplugh struck to put her team 1-0 up.

A slow first quarter was followed by a more lively second and within two minutes England were three goals ahead after strikes from Catton and Greenwood.

Briar Slattery managed to get Ireland on the scoresheet five minutes into the second quarter before England went on a three-goal scoring run with Drewe, Beaman, and Catton all increasing England’s lead.

With one second to go before half-time, Ireland claimed a second through Julia Ruscio but it was England who would return to the floor in the third quarter the most dominant, scoring three more courtesy of Beaman, Greenwood, and Drewe to see the score at 9-2.

Ireland never gave up hope of a comeback, however, and, with England tiring, they began to get more and more into the game with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Four goals without reply from Ireland through Haley Price (2), Ruscio, and Gillian Smith saw England’s close rivals come to within three goals.

But Lamplugh and Georgie Rutter put the team in green to bed with two goals in the final eight minutes to secure England’s spot in the fifth-place game.

England 11-6 Ireland (1-0, 5-2, 3-3, 2-1)

England scorers: Alex Drewe (2G, 4A), Leah Catton (2G, 3A), Laura Beaman (2G, 2A), Iandra Lamplugh (2G, 2A), Lucy Ford (4A), Katie Greenwood (2G, 1A), Georgie Rutter (1G, 2A)