England Women’s Under-23s slipped to defeat by USA in their final match of the La Manga Tournament.
The Lionesses were unable to follow up Thursday’s notable 3-1 win over Sweden as the Americans broke the deadlock from the penalty spot just before the break.
That lead was doubled shortly after the restart, as England were left to rue two penalty shouts that had been turned down.
Everton’s Paige Williams halved the deficit with a thumping 20-yard free-kick but England were unable to find an equaliser, as Beth Mead headed Aoife Mannion’s cross over the bar late on.
England (4-4-2): 1 Mary Earps (Bristol Academy); 2 Becky Jane (Reading), 5 Jemma Rose (C; Arsenal), 6 Satara Murray (Liverpool), 12 Aoife Mannion (Birmingham City); 14 Emma Follis (Reading), 7 Sherry McCue (Aston Villa), 8 Kasia Lipka (Doncaster Rovers Belles), 9 Nikita Parris (Manchester City – on loan from Everton), 10 Danielle Carter (Arsenal), 16 Ashleigh Hodson (Liverpool).
Substitutes: 4 Paige Williams (Everton) for McCue 65, 15 Beth Mead (Sunderland) for Follis 75, 17 Kirsty Linnett (Birmingham City) for Hodson 65, 18 Jade Bailey (Arsenal) for Lipka 65.
Substitutes not used: 3 Martha Harris (Liverpool), 11 Jess Sigsworth (Notts County), 13 Megan Walsh (Everton).
