Goals from Rachel Daly, Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone and debutant Jess Park led England to a 4-0 win over Japan in Spain, extending the European champions unbeaten run to 25 matches.
Left a little frustrated after a first half-hour of the friendly in Murcia, in which Japan repelled their better efforts, the Lionesses took the lead late in the first half thanks to Daly’s low effort that beat Ayaka Yamashita at her near post.
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England doubled their advantage after the break when Kelly slammed Beth Mead’s ball across the box into the net after Alessia Russo had missed her connection through the middle.
With things congested through the center of the pitch, the Lionesses were better when they could get the ball into the wider areas and continued to look dangerous until Toone put the result beyond any reasonable doubt when she added a third in the 77 minute.
Japan improved with the second-half introduction of Mina Tanaka as Yui Hasegawa kept looking to drive her team forward. Yet the visitors’ overriding toothlessness plagued them until the final whistle as they finished the match with nothing to show for their nine efforts on Mary Earps’ goal.
With Japan searching for a consolation, it was the Lionesses who grabbed the fourth and final goal on the night with Park claiming a goal seconds into her England debut, the attacker benefiting from Ebony Salmon’s service just as Toone had done earlier in the half.
