Lionesses lack bite in NYS defeat

The Millers’ home provided a good backdrop to the Remembrance Sunday clash which also marked captain Steph Houghton’s 100th international appearance.

But the visitors, ranked ninth in the world, weren’t reading the script, playing the more controlled football and defending well to complete a 2-0 win and inflict only England’s second defeat of the year.

The flag-waving crowd of 9,561 was the second highest to watch the Lionesses in 2018 but they were quietened as the visitors took control in the first half of what was the latest build-up game to next year's World Cup in France.

Sofia Jakobsson opened the scoring on 20 minutes with a dipping left-footed effort from the edge of the box and Anna Anvegard doubled  their advantage 13 minutes later when she stabbed high into the net after England failed to clear a corner.

Izzy Christiansen shovelled  decent chance over the bar and curled another effort wide of the far post as the Lionesses pressed in the second half without working goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl enough. Rachel Daly, one of three Yorkshire-born players in England’s starting line-up, went closest in the first half with a drive that demanded a finger-tip save.

Manager Phil Neville admitted: “The best team won. Sweden won it in the first half when we were slow at everything we did. We never got any rhythm into our play because we never allowed ourselves to. It left us with a mountain to climb against a good team.”

England: Carly Telford (Wolfsburg), Lucy Bronze (Lyon), Alex Greenwood (Man Utd), Izzy Christiansen (Lyon), Steph Houghton (Man City), Millie Bright (Chelsea), Nikita Parris (Man City), Jill Scott (Man City), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Beth Mead (Arsenal).

Sweden: Hedvig Lindahl, Jonna Andersson, Linda Sembrant, Magdelena Eriksson, Kosovare Asllani, Sofia Jakobsson, Amanda Ilestedt, Jessica Samuelson, Caroline Seger, Anna Anvegard, Elin Rubensson

Referee: Petra Pavlikova

Attendance: 9,561