Isobel Christiansen scored England’s only goal in their 1-0 victory over Australia’s Matildas in their second and final match of the CFA International Women’s Football Tournament in China today, having lost to China 2-1 in their first game.
The Matildas were quarter finalists in the World Cup in Canada and were no push over but England could have won by a bigger margin if chances that fell to Eni Aluko, Jill Scott (who captained the side on the and earned her 100th cap) and Jodie Taylor had been put away.
Resting the Notts County and Arsenal players has allowed Mark Sampson to get a look at players like Gilly Flaherty and Laura Coombs but a shame that Beth Mead didn’t get a run out.
England: 1 Karen Bardsley (Manchester City); 2 Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), 5 Steph Houghton (C; Manchester City), 12 Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea), 14 Claire Rafferty (Chelsea); 15 Alex Scott (Arsenal), 6 Jill Scott (Manchester City), 4 Jo Potter (Birmingham City), 3 Demi Stokes (Manchester City); 8 Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City); 11 Eniola Aluko (Chelsea).
Substitutes: 9 Jodie Taylor (Portland Thorns) for Aluko 57, 18 Laura Coombs (Chelsea) for Christiansen 90+2
Substitutes not used: 13 Rachael Laws (Sunderland), 21 Mary Earps (Bristol Academy), 7 Gemma Davison (Chelsea), 10 Fran Kirby (Chelsea), 16 Hannah Blundell (Chelsea), 17 Drew Spence (Chelsea), 19 Lianne Sanderson (Portland Thorns), 20 Beth Mead (Sunderland).
Goals: Christiansen 50
Head coach: Mark Sampson
Australia: 1 Lydia Williams, 2 Larissa Crummer, 5 Laura Alleway, 6 Georgia Yeoman, 7 Stephanie Catley, 8 Elise Kellond-Knight, 9 Caitlin Foord, 10 Emily Van-Egmond, 11 Lisa De Vanna (C), 19 Katrina Gorry, 20 Samantha Kerr.
Substitutes: 17 Kyah Simon for Crummer 60, 13 Tameka Butt for Gorry 60, 14 Alanna Kennedy for Yeoman 72
Substitutes not used: 21 Mackenzie Arnold, 4 Clare Polkinghorne, 12 Amy Harrison, 15 Tara Andrews, 16 Hayley Raso, 22 Caitlin Cooper, 23 Michelle Heyman.
Head coach: Alen Stajcic
Referee: Liang Qin (CHN)
Attendance: 1,800
Line ups courtesy of the FA
