Published 15 June 2025 4 min read
Women's U19
Report: England WU19s 2-1 Netherlands
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Lauren Smith's Young Lionesses kick-start EURO Finals with victory in Tarnobrzeg
MEET THE WU19s SQUAD
England women's under19s fought back from a goal down to start their UEFA Women's U19 European Championship campaign with a hard-fought win over the Netherlands in Group B.
The game at a sun-kissed Stadium Tarnobrzeg in South-East Poland brought together two giants of European football. England last won the tournament in 2009 but were semi-finalists in 2024 in Lithuania.
And they came into this match in white-hot form, having scored 21 goals in their three qualifiers back in April - a run which included a 10-0 victory over Ukraine in their final game.
It was England who started brightly. Rachel Maltby gave early notice of England’s threat when she struck the left-hand upright just three minutes in with a shot from outside the penalty area.
The game at a sun-kissed Stadium Tarnobrzeg in South-East Poland brought together two giants of European football. England last won the tournament in 2009 but were semi-finalists in 2024 in Lithuania.
And they came into this match in white-hot form, having scored 21 goals in their three qualifiers back in April - a run which included a 10-0 victory over Ukraine in their final game.
It was England who started brightly. Rachel Maltby gave early notice of England’s threat when she struck the left-hand upright just three minutes in with a shot from outside the penalty area.
England then came even closer to the opener just minutes later. Again, Maltby was involved, this time crossing for Mari Ward who had ventured up from her full back role. Her close-range volley was saved by Danae van der Vliet in the Netherlands goal.
England’s opponents grew in confidence as the first half continued, impressively led by midfielder Jade van Hensbergen.
On 44 minutes, as the first half of this group stage opener looked set to end in stalemate, a pass by goalkeeper Katie Cox slipped beyond Lucy Newell in the England backline and was immediately returned by PEC Zwolle’s Zoe Zuidberg into an empty net.
It sent the Netherlands into the break on a high, and they had a visible spring in their step as the second half got underway.
England’s opponents grew in confidence as the first half continued, impressively led by midfielder Jade van Hensbergen.
On 44 minutes, as the first half of this group stage opener looked set to end in stalemate, a pass by goalkeeper Katie Cox slipped beyond Lucy Newell in the England backline and was immediately returned by PEC Zwolle’s Zoe Zuidberg into an empty net.
It sent the Netherlands into the break on a high, and they had a visible spring in their step as the second half got underway.
Zuidberg had a chance to double their advantage within a minute of the restart as England were caught playing out from the back.
But within four minutes of the break, England turned the game on its head and were level.
A corner by Lola Brown was knocked back into the danger area by Katie Reid and then bundled home by Princess Ademiluyi. It was the West Ham striker’s fifth goal in her last two appearances.
And life was about to get even better for Lauren Smith’s side.
On 53 minutes, a cross by Ava Baker was met by Ademiluyi who saw her first-time shot deflected into her own net by Olivia Rademaker.
But within four minutes of the break, England turned the game on its head and were level.
A corner by Lola Brown was knocked back into the danger area by Katie Reid and then bundled home by Princess Ademiluyi. It was the West Ham striker’s fifth goal in her last two appearances.
And life was about to get even better for Lauren Smith’s side.
On 53 minutes, a cross by Ava Baker was met by Ademiluyi who saw her first-time shot deflected into her own net by Olivia Rademaker.
Having taken the lead, England began to dominate and almost made it three on the hour mark when a Ademiluyi header was cleared off the line.
With the game opening up, the Netherlands struck the woodwork from a corner on 62 minutes.
Substitute Gale was expertly denied by van der Vliet on 76 minutes, just seconds before Cox kept England ahead with an excellent save at the opposite end.
Chances continued to come for both sides, but England saw out the game.
With matches against Portugal and current champions, Spain, to come, it represented a perfect start in the Polish sunshine.
England: 1 Katie Cox (Chelsea), 3 Mari Ward (Bristol City), 6 Katie Reid (Arsenal), 5 Lucy Newell (Manchester United), 17 Rachel Maltby (Aston Villa), 4 Laila Harbert (Arsenal), 8 Lexi Potter (Chelsea), 10 Lola Brown (Chelsea), 7 Ava Baker (Birmingham City), 11 Vivienne Lia (Arsenal), 9 Princess Ademiluyi (West Ham United)
Substitutes: 12 Erica Parkinson (Valadares Gaia) for Brown 82’, 14 Lauryn Thompson (Indy Eleven) for Lia 57’, 19 Jessie Gale (Arsenal) for Ademiluyi 64’
Substitutes not used: 13 Eve Annets (Manchester City), 2 Nelly Las (Leicester City), 15 Maddy Earl (Arsenal), 16 Araya Dennis (Tottenham Hotspur), 18 Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea), 20 Cecily Wellesley-Smith (Arsenal)
Goals: Ademiluyi 49’, Rademaker (OG) 53’
Head Coach: Lauren Smith
With the game opening up, the Netherlands struck the woodwork from a corner on 62 minutes.
Substitute Gale was expertly denied by van der Vliet on 76 minutes, just seconds before Cox kept England ahead with an excellent save at the opposite end.
Chances continued to come for both sides, but England saw out the game.
With matches against Portugal and current champions, Spain, to come, it represented a perfect start in the Polish sunshine.
England: 1 Katie Cox (Chelsea), 3 Mari Ward (Bristol City), 6 Katie Reid (Arsenal), 5 Lucy Newell (Manchester United), 17 Rachel Maltby (Aston Villa), 4 Laila Harbert (Arsenal), 8 Lexi Potter (Chelsea), 10 Lola Brown (Chelsea), 7 Ava Baker (Birmingham City), 11 Vivienne Lia (Arsenal), 9 Princess Ademiluyi (West Ham United)
Substitutes: 12 Erica Parkinson (Valadares Gaia) for Brown 82’, 14 Lauryn Thompson (Indy Eleven) for Lia 57’, 19 Jessie Gale (Arsenal) for Ademiluyi 64’
Substitutes not used: 13 Eve Annets (Manchester City), 2 Nelly Las (Leicester City), 15 Maddy Earl (Arsenal), 16 Araya Dennis (Tottenham Hotspur), 18 Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea), 20 Cecily Wellesley-Smith (Arsenal)
Goals: Ademiluyi 49’, Rademaker (OG) 53’
Head Coach: Lauren Smith