Report: England WU17s 2-1 Belgium

England women’s under-17s secured an international friendly victory against Belgium at St. George’s Park on Thursday afternoon.

In the first game since back-to-back international friendlies against WU17 EURO hosts Finland midway through September, the home side displayed strong attacking poise in the opening ten minutes against the Red Flames.

And it was England forward Stevie Sinclair who produced a promising early chance in the opening five minutes, curling a right-footed effort narrowly wide of the top corner of Katrijne Filipowicz’s goal.

Following a great spell of early momentum, Izzie-Mae Breen unleashed a superb effort from 20 yards to find the top-left corner and open the scoring, after teammate Mia Dixon’s confident individual run and assist.

England goalkeeper Victoria Rudz produced a wonderful save to deny one of Belgium’s best chances of the first half through Wies Dehaemers just before the half-hour mark, diving to her right to prevent a low-driven effort.

The Young Lionesses continued their high-intensity play in the later stages of the first half, holding their one-goal lead until the break.

And Kerri Welsh’s side didn’t relent in their persistence for a second, with substitute Jessica Archibald almost certain to find the net with a back-post header from Angelina Joy Bramble’s cross, had it not been for a clever defensive clearance to deny her.

Belgium then equalised ten minutes into the second half from a set piece, with Dehaemers finishing from the centre of the penalty area with a neat flick to beat substitute goalkeeper Billie Price.

It was England looking to go back in front 20 minutes from time, as Sinclair’s deflected effort was denied superbly by Filipowicz. 

A decisive response followed for the Young Lionesses as they went back in front late on, with substitute Jahmya Putman remaining calm to finish her one-on-one chance.

The victory against Belgium was the final fixture before round one of the UEFA Women’s Under-17 EURO qualifiers later this year, with Welsh’s side drawn alongside Belarus, Hungary and Denmark in Group A7.

England: 13 Victoria Rudz (Chelsea), 2 Ella-Rose Boothe (Chelsea), 3 Zoe Ciccardini (Chelsea), 4 Izzie-Mae Breen (Liverpool), 5 Sophie Leach (Chelsea), 6 Amarachukwu Nwankwo (Manchester City), 7 Angelina Joy Bramble (Arsenal), 8 Mia Dixon (Arsenal), 9 Chidimma Nwokedi (Chelsea), 10 Stevie Sinclair (Chelsea), 16 Maria Mayers (Chelsea).

Substitutes: 1 Billie Price (Brighton & Hove Albion) for Rudz 46’, 17 Jessica Archibald (Southampton) for Nwokedi 46’, 15 Betty Fisher (Chelsea) for Mayers 58’, 14 Annie-Joy Boichat (Chelsea) for Leach 76’, 11 Jahmya Putman (Chelsea) for Dixon 77’, 12 Neeve McDonald (Bristol City) for Ciccardini, 18 Imarn Nugent (Chelsea) for Bramble 82’.

Head coach: Kerri Welsh