England vs Scotland result: Lionesses open Women's World Cup 2019 with hard-fought win
England's 2019 Women's World Cup opener ended in victory
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Your support makes all the difference.England opened their 2019 Women's World Cup campaign with a hard-fought win over Scotland in Nice.
Expectations are high for Phil Neville's Lionesses after a successful run up to the finals including victory in the SheBelieves Cup back in March but they didn't have it all their own way against the Scots.
Nikita Parris opened the scoring from the spot before Ellen White doubled the lead just before the break. Claire Emslie grabbed one back to make it a nervy finish but Phil Neville's team got over the line to take the three points.
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England 1-0 Scotland, 21 minutes
Another penalty appeal. Sort of. Beth Mead goes down in a tangle with Sophie Howard but it is only a cursory raise of the arm rather than full-fledged plea to the referee, who is positioned well and waves play onwards.
England 1-0 Scotland, 22 minutes
Top stop!
Down the right again England find space and Lucy Bronze drills a volleyed cross along the six-yard box, Ellen White finding a yard in front of the defender and meeting equally firmly.
Lee Alexander is equal to it, an extend of the left leg keeping it out. Excellent reflexes.
England 1-0 Scotland, 23 minutes
White has the ball in the net this time, but it won't count.
Over the onrushing Alexander she lifts, but she's strayed offside, and the flag is up. No need for VAR.
England 1-0 Scotland, 24 minutes
This is high-quality football from England.
Pushed back into their right corner, out a tricky spot they pass, interchanging passes and positions to work the angles and move past the closing Scottish shirts.
Nikita Parris swivels on halfway, touching the ball between the legs of a would-be tackler on the turn, a delightful touch creating space for an attack.
In the end, it dissipates down the left as Beth Mead's inside pass trickles out of play, but England are starting to find their footballing flow.
England 1-0 Scotland, 27 minutes
England are doing well to reform and reshape after giving the ball away, swift in defensive transition so that even when errors do come, there are enough bodies back to prevent a quick counter.
Alex Greenword is too firm in here attempts to win this one back, and the floated cross from forty-yard skips past Karen Bardsley's post with the England goalkeeper relatively untroubled.
England 1-0 Scotland, 29 minutes
Kim Little produces something similar to Nikita Parris to move beyond Keira Walsh and feeds Claire Emslie arriving down the right, but Emslie's attempted drill across goal is both too weak and too straight, down the gullet of goalkeeper Bardsley who swallows calmly.
England 1-0 Scotland, 31 minutes
The players take on some water as we reach the half-hour mark. 'Tis a warm evening in Nice.
England 1-0 Scotland, 32 minutes
Lee Alexander's left boot has become rather busier than she'd have liked.
Beth Mead drives into the box from the left wing and shoots, scuffing slightly, a bobbler well saved nonetheless by Alexander.
England 1-0 Scotland, 33 minutes
Ooh ah, VAR!
Another check. Nought doing this time. Another arm struck, but this time not illegally.
England 1-0 Scotland, 34 minutets
Meaty.
Steph Houghton steps in on Erin Cuthbert unfairly and firmly. A foul, but nothing further.
Cuthbert's threat has been stymied by Houghton and Millie Bright at the back, one of the English centre-half pair always within touching distance, denying the livewire forward the space she desires, and Scotland yet to find the incisive pass through or beyond the pair to free their forward.
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