Report: England WU23s 1-0 France

England women’s under-23s got back to winning ways on Tuesday night, after a 1-0 victory over France in Stevenage.

The Young Lionesses played their second home game in February following their narrow loss to Germany last week, and Emma Coates’ team fully deserved their win in front of a lively crowd of 2809 at the Lamex Stadium.

It took a goal from Isobel Goodwin on her first WU23s start to separate the teams, but England could also have added to their tally during a strong second-half display.

And it was a lively game from the off, with both sides looking to play and attack each other and the first 30 minutes saw a closely-contested affair.

France came closest to opening the scoring when Jade Rastocle directed a firm header against the outside of the post after a corner from the right.

The breakthrough arrived ten minutes before the break, when captain Missy-Bo Kearns’ whipped cross picked out Goodwin in the area. The London City Lionesses striker glanced her header goalwards, with French ‘keeper Marie Petiteau making an initial block, before Goodwin followed in to snap up the rebound and finish from close range for what was her first England goal.

From there, England gained confidence and looked the more likely of the teams to score again, and France will have been glad to hear the half-time whistle with the Young Lionesses worthy of their lead at the break.

Five minutes after the re-start and England came within the width of the post from doubling their advantage when Kearns’ back-heel on the edge of the box found Goodwin’s run, only to see her first-time shot clip the outside of the post before Missy Goodwin’s rebound shot was saved by Petiteau.

Petiteau had to keep her side in it again shortly after that, when Katie Robinson drifted a cross into the area from the right to pick out Olivia McLaughlin’s run into the box. She placed a low shot at goal, but Petiteau was out quickly to save with her feet.

Robinson was provider again as the game went into the last ten minutes, cutting the ball back for substitute Michelle Agyemang who thumped a left-footer at goal only to see it scrambled off the line.

With only a goal in it, France still posed a threat but England ‘keeper Kayla Rendell dealt with anything Les Bleues mustered up as she registered a comfortable clean sheet.

England: 1 Kayla Rendell (Manchester United), 2 Ella Morris (Tottenham Hotspur), 3 Anouk Denton (West Ham), 4 Maise Symonds (Brighton & Hove Albion), 5 Naomi Layzell (Manchester City), 6 Teyah Goldie (London City Lionesses), 7 Katie Robinson (Aston Villa), 8 Olivia McLoughlin (Rangers), 9 Isobel Goodwin (London City Lionesses), 10 Missy Bo Kearns (Aston Villa) (c), 11 Missy Goodwin (Leicester City).

Substitutes: 14 Neve Herron (Birmingham City) for Layzell 60, 23 Katie Reid (Arsenal) for Morris 60, 20 Michelle Agyemang (Brighton & Hove Albion) for Isobel Goodwin 60, 17 Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Bristol City) for Missy Goodwin 80, 16 Ruby Grant (Bayer Leverkusen) for Symonds 87

Substitutes not used: 13 Khiara Keating (Manchester City), 12 Lucy Parry (Liverpool), 15 Jessica Simpson (Bristol City), 18 Lenna Gunning-Williams (Tottenham Hotspur), 19 Mia Enderby (Liverpool), 21 Ashanti Akpan (Birmingham City), 22 Emily Orman (London City Lionesses)

Head coach: Emma Coates

Goal: Missy Goodwin 35