The England WU19s started their UEFA European Women’s Under-19 Championship qualifying campaign with a tough 2-0 win over Greece. Mia Enderby and Katy Watson were the heroes of the match, scoring the goals that led the Young Lionesses to victory in Cardiff. The game took place at the Cardiff International Sports Campus on Tuesday afternoon. The Young Lionesses will be playing three games in seven days in south Wales as part of the first round of qualifying for the UEFA Women’s U19 EURO next summer.
The next challenge for the WU19s is a match against hosts Wales on Friday at Dragon Park, the Wales National Football Centre. This will be followed by a game against Czechia back at the Cardiff International Sports Campus on Monday. The top three teams in each of the seven groups in League A after the first round will have a chance to qualify for the Finals in Lithuania next summer. They will compete in the second round of qualification alongside the top teams from the groups in League B. The seven League A group winners in the second round will then join Lithuania in the eight-team Finals next summer.
Greece struggled to break through England’s solid defense throughout the match. England had several chances to score in both halves but found it difficult to break down the opposition defense in the first half. Despite their efforts, they were unable to find the breakthrough. Greece’s only shot on target came in first-half injury time, which was saved by England goalkeeper Eve Annets.
The Young Lionesses improved their performance in the second half. Lexi Potter, Freya Godfrey, and substitute Poppy Pritchard all came close to scoring, but it looked like England would have to settle for a draw. However, in the 83rd minute, Cerys Brown was fouled in the box, leading to a penalty for England. Mia Enderby stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, giving England the lead. England continued to push for a second goal, with Brown and captain Shauna Guyatt coming close to scoring. In the final moments of extra time, Katy Watson sealed the victory for England with a goal from a tight angle.
Amy Merricks’ side will now face Wales on Friday at Dragon Park. The match promises to be an exciting encounter as both teams look to secure their place in the next round of qualifying. The game kicks off at 6pm and is sure to be a thrilling contest between two talented teams.
The England WU19s lineup for the match against Greece included Eve Annets, Ria Bose, Cerys Brown, Evie Rabjohn, Freya Godfrey, Shauna Guyatt, Georgia Mullett, Maddy Earl, Ava Baker, Alexia Potter, and Katie Reid. The substitutes who made an impact in the game were Ashanti Akpan, Mia Enderby, Poppy Pritchard, Katy Watson, and Lois Marley-Paraskevas. The team is led by head coach Amy Merricks.
The goalscorers for England were Mia Enderby, who converted the penalty in the 83rd minute, and Katy Watson, who scored in the 90+8 minute. The victory against Greece is a positive start to the qualifying campaign for the Young Lionesses, and they will be looking to build on this momentum in their upcoming matches.