Report: England Deaf Women 5-0 Italy

England women’s deaf team sealed their place in the World Deaf Futsal Championship quarter-final, following a 5-0 win over Italy on Tuesday afternoon.

Following Sunday’s 5-0 win over Sweden in their opening game, they followed up with the same scoreline against the host nation at the Palasport Giovanni Paolo II venue in Pescara.

And with the third team in Group A, Argentina, having withdrawn from the competition and a 5-0 default victory awarded to England and Sweden, it means Steve Daley’s team are confirmed in the knockout stages.

England took an early lead in the game, when a flowing team move saw the ball worked towards the left flank, where Lucindha Lawson produced a great turn to lose her marker before driving an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

And they quickly build on that with a second goal just a few minutes later, when a corner was played into the path of Ellie Betteridge and she drove a powerful left-footer through a crowded box and into the bottom corner.

The game settled somewhat after that as the hosts looked to find a way back into the contest, but with England defending their goal well, they managed to keep Italy at bay before adding a third goal before half time when Macie White nicked the ball off a defender before bearing down and goal and striking home.

There was time for a fourth too, as another slick move ended with Betteridge smashing home her second of the game to out England in complete control.

With Italy opting to play with a rush goalkeeper in the second half, that left another opportunity for England ‘keeper Natasha Hamm, who fired a long range shot home to register her second goal of the tournament.

The Para Lionesses will now turn their attention to their next game on Sunday in the quarter-final, with their third scheduled game against Argentina cancelled following the South Americans’ withdrawal from the competition and a 5-0 default victory awarded to both England and Sweden.

England: 1 Natasha Hamm, 2 Georgia Jones, 4 Masie O’Shea, 5 Louise Hogan, 6 Lucindha Lawson, 7 Danielle Evans, 8 Faye Williams. 9 Macie White, 10 Lucy Scholes, 11 Ellie Betteridge, 12 Emma Brown

Head coach: Steve Daley

Goals: Lucindha Lawson, Ellie Betteredge (2), Macie White, Natasha Hamm