At times in the final 45 minutes England were wasteful in possession, working hard to get the ball but then losing it with sloppy passes. They slowed the game down and made some errors which could have been fatal.

In the 76th minute Iwabuchi carved the Lionesses open after a great turn in the pocket between England’s midfield and defence, before laying off a perfect pass to Sugasawa who failed to beat Bardsley.

The game was put to rest after a poor second half showing from the England side, when substitute Carney slipped a neat pass to White, who finished tightly to score her second goal of the game.

The result

The clash had the premise of being the ultimate test for England’s confidence moving forward, and many fans will now be more assured, after a wait to see how the Lionesses coped with a tougher fixtures.

Neville made eight changes to the team who won against Argentina, including introducing Toni Duggan and Demi Stokes who came back from injury to make their first starts in the competition. Youngster Georgia Stanway was a surprise addition to the starting line up, with Neville giving the 20-year-old forward a chance to prove herself on the highest level.

England’s back four in defence, Stokes, Bright, Houghton and Bronze made their first starting appearance as a unit under Neville.

Prior to the game Neville spoke to the Guardian about his tactical approach with the team, and said he wanted his defenders to pass out from the back, his midfielders to dominate and his forwards to be brave. One of the main things the Lionesses manager wanted to incorporate was being able to handle low-block teams, by practicing their possession into tight areas with three or four players around them.

The Lionesses knew they just needed a point to stay top of the group and play the third place of the of either group B/E/F on Sunday. But the win, although impressive, places them in the same category as front-runners France and potentially the United States.

Despite their qualification prior to the match the Lionesses refused to settle for a draw, and this result extends their unbeaten run in the competition. It’s now the first time the Lionesses have ever won their opening three World Cup matches.

Images: Getty

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