Mark Sampson applauded his England Women’s team for continuing to try and implement the new ideas he is attempting to introduce.
Sampson was appointed Head Coach in December last year and he has already taken charge of three matches – a 1-1 draw with Norway in La Manga followed by back-to-back wins in the Cyprus Cup.
The latest effort was a comfortable 3-0 dismissal of Finland, courtesy of goals from Anita Asante, Gemma Bonner and Eniola Aluko, and although the former Bristol Academy boss named a completely different team to that which played against Italy on Wednesday, he was more than satisfied with the outcome.
Finland 0-3 England Women
The Cyprus Cup
Friday 7 March
Larnaca, Cyprus
Sampson said: "We changed the starting line-up to freshen things up but also to give players the chance to show what they can do in this team.
"I asked the players to show intent and a winning mentality, and they did that. In the first half we were a bit sloppy at times, but in the second half we got to grips with the game, raised the tempo and could have scored more goals in the end.
"The most important thing was that right up to the final whistle they showed the will to work hard, to go on looking for goals but also to keep a clean sheet.
"There are things we need to tidy up a little bit on but we saw signs of progress.
"Before the game we asked the players to show intent and do the things we’ve been talking about and I thought we saw that."
Among the 11 changes there was a full debut for Everton left-back Alex Greenwood, and new Liverpool signing Gemma Davison also enjoyed her first start almost five years after making her England bow against Iceland.
And goalkeeper Lizzie Durack, who starred in last year’s U19 Euros, came off the bench late on for her first ever taste of senior team football.
Finland 0-3 England Women
Greenwood provided the assist for Bonner’s maiden senior goal, her left-wing free-kick had a big part to play in England’s opener and she came close to getting on the scoresheet herself, smashing a long-ranger against the bar.
Sampson added: "We have been impressed with Alex ever since she came into the squad.
"She’s a good player with tremendous enthusiasm. She loves football, she’s a good technician with a great left foot and she wants to learn.
"I thought she settled in quickly and then she went on to set up a goal and hit the crossbar from 25 yards. She was solid defensively and I think she’s going to be a good player but we need to keep an eye on her and help her."
The last group match is against Canada, who the Three Lions defeated in last season’s Cyprus Cup final, on Monday.
A win will seal back-to-back appearances in the showpiece match, while a draw will leave England competing for a third-place finish, and Sampson is looking forward to pitting his wits against one of the most improved nations in the women’s game.
Sampson said: "We are expecting a really tough game against a very, very good Canada team. They are ranked above us and they are a long, long way ahead of us in terms of their development.
"It will be a challenge but the important thing for us now is to keep on building on our performance levels.
"But we want to try and win the tournament if we can so we’ll be going out with the right attitude to win the game on Monday."
