Norway 2-1 England: Phil Neville frustrated as Lionesses beaten by late goal

Highlights: Norway 2-1 England

England boss Phil Neville expressed his frustration after England failed to win for a second successive game since the World Cup following a 2-1 friendly defeat in Norway.

Georgia Stanway’s stunning goal gave the Lionesses an early lead but Frida Maanum headed in the equaliser.

Caroline Graham Hansen then punished poor defending to score a late winner.

The defeat follows a 3-3 draw with Belgium and Neville said: “Both games have been frustrating.”

He added: “We have to keep working on the basics. Our defending, especially in the first half, was much better but the fundamental basics of football of passing to each other I thought was sloppy.

“We have to start winning games again and we have to start playing better.”

England pay price for error-strewn display

The Lionesses beat Norway 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in the summer – their last win.

That was arguably their best display of the tournament, but this was a far cry from that performance.

Neville’s side started well and deservedly went ahead after 10 minutes when Stanway picked up the ball 25 yards from goal before rifling an unstoppable drive off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net.

‘What an unbelievable finish’ – Stanway stunner gives England lead

But, as was the case after they had taken the lead against Belgium last time out, they failed to build on that.

They dominated possession but were often quite wasteful with it, occasionally showing a lack of concentration or awareness as they got caught on the ball or misplaced passes.

Since beating Norway in the summer, England have been the architects of their own downfall by giving up too many soft goals and that was the case once again in this game.

They failed to pick up Maanum, who gobbled up a free header for the equaliser, and Norway’s winner came about after England gave the ball away cheaply, allowing Graham Hansen to run through on goal before she side-stepped a hopeful lunge from Steph Houghton to finish.

Neville had said before the match that this game was all about the performance rather than the result, but ultimately he got neither.

England’s rusty display could perhaps be forgiven with many of the players not starting their domestic seasons until this weekend.

Player of the match – Georgia Stanway

Aside from her stunning goal, Stanway was one of the few attacking positives for England with some good movement off the ball

‘Set-piece defending a concern’

England boss Neville on conceding from set-pieces: “It is a concern because we work hard on it. We do a lot of defending and attacking set-plays, and it is basically a ball coming into the box that you have to throw your head at.

“You have to want to head the ball and it is disappointing to concede, and a game I always thought we were comfortable in, we have ended up losing.

“We have a game against Brazil in October and we have a game after that we will announce shortly, and what I’ve said to them is they have to win both games.

“I want them to go back to their clubs now and get fitter and get their rhythm back, and play well for their clubs because I am watching them. If they play well for their clubs they will be back in October with us.”

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