General view during the Belgium v Spain UEFA European Under-17 Championship 2018 Quarter Final football match at Walsall FC Stadium, Walsall, UK on the 14th May 2018. Photo: Paul Currie for FA

England defeat Denmark in penultimate game of ‘Road to France’ series

England have continued their preparations for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Denmark in the third match of their ‘Road to France’ series at The Banks’s Stadium in Walsall.

Nikita Parris and Jill Scott got the goals as the Lionesses negotiated their way beyond a well-respected Danish outfit in The Midlands.

England were almost ahead after just five minutes when a Janni Arnth error almost let in Ellen White but the ball bounced off the Manchester City forward into the gloves of Danish keeper Katrine Abel.

At the other end, Sanne Troelsgaard’s goal-bound effort was diverted wide by Jade Moore before White chipped a shot the wrong side of the far post for England following some excellent work from Scott. The Manchester City midfielder could have had her name on the scoresheet minutes later but she couldn’t keep her effort down when getting on the end of a Georgia Stanway delivery.

Denmark really should have been ahead four minutes before the break when Signe Bruun bundled the ball into the net when unmarked but the player was harshly adjudged to have used her arm.

It was England who were to go into the half-time interval with a one-goal lead when a free-kick delivery found Parris and the player thumped the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

Denmark were unlucky not to be level six minutes into the second half when Nicoline Sorensen’s low cross caused panic in the box but home keeper Karen Bardsley was on-hand to block Pernille Harder’s shot.

Phil Neville’s England side have the attacking talent to quickly change a game and they did that on the hour when Stanway made a great run towards the box and played in Beth Mead. The striker then delivered a wonderful cross onto the head of Scott and the player directed the ball into the back of the net.

Harder then curled a free-kick just wide before the same player directed two tame efforts at Bardsley as Denmark struggled to put up any kind of fight to get back into the match.

There were to be no further goals despite the best efforts of both sides. England will now turn their attention to next weekend’s final warm-up match against New Zealand at The Amex Stadium in Brighton.

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