The decisive phase arrived in the opening 45 minutes, when England found the only goal of the game and then carried that advantage through to the finish. Spence was one of the clearest bright spots in that first-half spell, contributing to the attacking build-up and giving England an aggressive outlet from wide areas before he came off at the break.
For readers looking beyond the bare result and score, his outing offered the sharpest individual thread from the match. The available stats around Spence's display backed up the impression of a busy, balanced performance - one assist, one big chance created and regular involvement high up the pitch, including two touches in the opposition box.
After halftime, the pattern became simpler. The scoreline did not move, New Zealand stayed within one goal, and England saw out the contest without conceding. That left a clean, no-frills summary: first-half breakthrough, second-half control, and a 1-0 win that was settled early and managed well to the final whistle.