England vs Austria LIVE: Result and reaction after Russo and Mead strike twice and Lionesses score seven
Follow all the live action from the Lionesses match in Marbella
England bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on Olympic qualification in their last match with a 7-2 thrashing of a sub-par Austria.
In the first match of their February training camp in Marbella, the Lionesses stormed to victory, with Alessia Russo and Beth Mead both finding the net twice in the emphatic victory.
Russo opened hers and England’s account after just three minutes when she capitalised after the goalkeeper did not deal with the niitial shot and she was ideally placed to tap the ball home.
Grace Clinton then capped off her debut with a goal in the 19th minute. Austria briefly threatened to turn the tide of the game when Virginia Kirchberger headed one back for Austria, but Beth Mead’s first goal of the evening soon restored England’s advantage.
In the second half it was all England, first Russo’s second, then Jess Carter’s improvised backheel established a strong lead.
Kirchberger left England puzzling over how they had allowed the forward to score twice from set pieces, but Mead hit back almost straight away before Rachel Daly’s stoppage-time strike in a one-on-one situation wrapped up the win.
Follow all the live updates in the blog below and get the latest odds and tips here.
England 3-1 Austria
44 mins: England have been completely dominant in this half and are closing in on being able to go into the break with a healthy advantage.
England 3-1 Austria
40 mins: England almost have another!
Greenwood’s corner finds Stanway, who tries to hit the ball towards the goal but it is blocked and after a ricochet flies behind for a goal kick.
GOAL! Mead extends the Lionesses’ lead - England 3-1 Austria
GOAL! 36 mins: Mead scores to extend England’s lead!
Russo had fluffed a shot earlier in the move, but Austria could not clear and the ball fell to Mead who curled the ball into the top corner.
England 2-1 Austria
34 mins: Russo is full of confidence and decides to launch a shot from distance, it was slightly awkward for the goalkeeper in the rain, but she managed to hold on to the ball on this occasion, after her error for the first goal of the game.
England 2-1 Austria
32 mins: Toone has a chance to re-establish England’s two-goal lead, but this time it was straight at the goalkeeper.
GOAL! Kirchberger pulls one back! England 2-1 Austria
30 mins: GOAL! Kirchberger makes the most of some slightly lacklustre England defending to head the ball home and pull one back for the Austrians.
England 2-0 Austria
28 mins: Clinton has made herself known on debut! That was a heavy challenge just outside the Austria box and they will rightly have a free kick.
The fans are abandoning their seats in favour of shelter as the rain starts to fall hard.
England 2-0 Austria
27 mins: That time Charles when trying to get forward did concede a free kick and it gives Austria a chance to mount an attack of their own.
England 2-0 Austria
25 mins: Russo is chasing down absolutely everything and putting a lot of pressure on the Austria defence, who ahve conceded twice already.
England 2-0 Austria
23 mins: When Austria have got forward, their decision-making has been questionable at best, as another attempt has just blazed far over the bar.
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