Report: England WU23s 2-0 Netherlands

A double from Freya Gregory helped England women’s Under-23s beat the Netherlands 2-0 at Walsall on Thursday night.

It was another boost for the WU23s in a camp which has already seen three more talented youngsters promoted to the senior squad in the shape of Maya Le Tissier, Jess Park and Katie Robinson.

England could have taken the lead as early as the 16th minute when Laura Blindkilde Brown shot over the bar from close range following a corner.

Gregory was proving to be a handful for the Netherlands’ defence and had a couple of decent chances in the first half which were just wide and then over.

But five minutes into the second half, the Aston Villa wide player had her goal when she tapped in from close range following a cross on the right by Jez Naz.

And with just over 20 minutes remaining, Gregory had her second of the night with a half-volley from just inside the area which looped over the goalkeeper.

England could have added the icing on the cake late on when substitute Grace Clinton was unable to convert from close range after a saved effort.

Next up for the WU23s is a game with Italy on Monday (kick-off 1.30pm) at the Stadio Tre Fontane in Rome.

England: 1 Emily Ramsey (Everton, on loan from Manchester United), 2 Jorja Fox (Brighton & Hove Albion, on loan from Chelsea), 3 Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), 4 Mel Filis (West Ham United), 5 Anna Patten (Aston Villa, on loan from Arsenal), 6 Mia Ross (Charlton Athletic), 7 Jess Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), 8 Missy Bo Kearns (Liverpool), 9 Aggie Beever-Jones (Everton, on loan from Chelsea), 10 Laura Blindkilde Brown (Aston Villa), 11 Freya Gregory (Aston Villa)

Substitutes: 19 Grace Clinton (Manchester United) for Beever-Jones 70, 16 Kiera Skeels (Charlton Athletic) for Patten 70, 21 Shannon O’Brien (Leicester City) for Kearns 70, 24 Angela Addison (Charlton Athletic) for Naz 75, 17 Isabella Sibley (Crystal Palace) for Gregory 82, 12 Asmita Ale (Tottenham Hotspur) for Pattinson 82

Substitutes not used: 13 Kayla Rendell (Southampton), 22 Lucy Thomas (Birmingham City), 14 Charlotte Wardlaw (Liverpool, on loan from Chelsea), 15 Tara Bourne (Birmingham City, on loan from Manchester United), 18 Molly Pike (Leicester City), 20 Ruby Grant (University of North Carolina), 23 Paige Peake (Southampton)

Head coach: Mo Marley

Goals: Freya Gregory 50, 68