Norway blaze a trail into second qualifying round

Norway are the first team through from the UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship first qualifying round after three comfortable wins in Group 10 in Riga.

Having already beaten hosts Latvia 8-0 and Turkey 5-1, 2009 semi-finalists Norway needed only a point against Wales on Sunday and rounded things off with a handsome 5-0 success. Turkey overcame Latvia 1-0 to finish second but must wait to see if they join Norway in the second qualifying round next spring as one of the five runners-up across the 11 groups with the best record against the teams first and third in their section.

By half-time of their opening game, Norway were 5-0 up and continued to cruise after the break, Synne Jensen ending up with a hat-trick. Turkey defeated Wales 2-0 in their first assignment, meanwhile, controlling the game from early on with Beyza Kocatürk and Ebru Topçu their main threats. Topçu went on to hit both goals, her second a penalty with eight minutes left.

However, Turkey found themselves outplayed by Norway two days later, Jensen striking twice and Marie Markussen claiming a pair of goals for the second game running, before Topçu fired a late consolation. Norway would have been through immediately had Wales not beaten Latvia and that match was goalless at the break, but the hosts eventually fell 4-0 as Emile Revitt came off the bench to open the scoring. Allie Young added another and Chloe Lloyd then found the target twice.

There was no holding Norway back, though, and they sealed their progress with another commanding victory, Markussen leaving Wales reeling after just four minutes. Tonje Danielsen missed a penalty for the Scandinavian side, but Jensen put the result beyond doubt with a 14-minute hat-trick in the second half, before Cecilie Dekkerhus added her team's fifth. As for Turkey, they made sure of second place as Topçu proved the match winner in their meeting with the hosts, leaving her side to wait to learn their fate as the first qualifying round continues.