Second-half goals by Toni Duggan and Jodie Taylor helped England defeat Bosnia 2-0 in Zenica to go top of their FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying group.
Duggan steered home Melissa Lawley’s deep cross in the 56th minute to put the Lionesses in front.
And Taylor leapt from the bench to convert a penalty in added time to seal the win and give Phil Neville’s side the three points their dominance deserved.
Alex Greenwood was sent off after picking up two yellow cards, while Bosnia had Amira Spahic dismissed for the same reason shortly after.
England move to the top of qualifying Group 1 with 13 points from five matches.
There were five changes from the goalless draw with Wales on Friday night.
Greenwood and Isobel Christiansen replaced the Demi Stokes and Fran Kirby respectively after the latter pair withdrew from the squad at the weekend. Meanwhile Jade Moore, Lawley and Ellen White came in for Keira Walsh, Nikita Parris and Taylor.
Having faced Bosnia three times inside the last three years, England knew exactly what they would be up against in Zenica; 11 behind the ball with captain Milena Nikolic the only player interested in getting anywhere near the halfway line.
Neville’s side had faced a similar defensive strategy at St. Mary’s last week. And just like in Southampton, England had a monopoly on possession throughout.
The first chance was fashioned down the right as Lucy Bronze dinked a first-time cross into the box but Christiansen could only direct the ball over the top.
A further chance followed for White before two half-hearted appeals for a penalty were dismissed by referee Andromachi Tsiofliki.
Moore, who has only scored one goal in 44 internationals, almost doubled her tally with a 30-yard piledriver on the half-hour mark, only to watch on as Envera Hasanbegovic produced a wonderful save to keep the ball out of the top corner.
England were dealt a blow early in the second half when Greenwood was sent off after Tsiofliki adjudged the left-back to have dived inside the box and awarded a second yellow card.
But the Lionesses reshaped and regrouped and went ahead less than 10 minutes later when Lawley’s deep cross was steered home at the back post by her former Man City club mate Duggan.
The numbers were soon evened up when Spahic was dismissed after picking up a second booking of her own following a foul on substitute Beth Mead. The hosts were almost further punished when Duggan thundered a left-footer off the angle of post and bar.
Steph Houghton then swung a vicious cross into the six-yard box which White met on the volley but Hasanbegovic parried it behind for a corner. And White came close once more, this time from Bronze’s right-sided cross, though her header was just too high.
But the win was confirmed when Mead was hauled down inside the box and Taylor stepped up to plant the subsequent spot-kick into the keeper’s bottom left-hand corner.
England's next qualifier is away to Russia on Friday 8 June.
Bosnia (5-4-1): 1 Envera Hasanbegovic; 4 Amira Spahic, 5 Melisa Hasanbegovic, 6 Marija Aleksic, 3 Antonela Radeljic, 11 Lidija Kulis; 2 Valentina Sakotic, 8 Aida Hadzic, 10 Alisa Spahic, 17 Amela Krso; 9 Milena Nikolic (capt).
Substitutes: 20 Selma Kapetanovic for Krso 66, 15 Marina Lukic for Spahic 74, 7 Merjema Medic for Spahic 90+2.
Substitutes not used: 12 Jelena Gvozderac, 13 Zerina Piskic, 14 Dragica Denda, 18 Amna Lihovic,.
Bookings: Hadzic 12, Spahic 39, 59
Red cards: Spahic (second yellow)
Head coach: Samira Huren
England (4-3-3): 1 Carly Telford (Chelsea); 2 Lucy Bronze (Lyon), 5 Steph Houghton (capt; Manchester City), 6 Abbie McManus (Manchester City), 3 Alex Greenwood (Liverpool); 8 Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), 4 Jade Moore (Reading), 10 Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City); 7 Melissa Lawley (Manchester City), 9 Ellen White (Birmingham City), 11 Toni Duggan (Barcelona).
Substitutes: 16 Beth Mead (Arsenal) for Lawley 57, 12 Rachel Daly (Houston Dash) for Christiansen 80, 18 Jodie Taylor (Seattle Reign) for Duggan 87.
Substitutes not used: 13 Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), 14 Gabrielle George (Everton), 15 Fara Williams (Reading), 17 Nikita Parris (Manchester City).
Goals: Duggan 56, Taylor (pen) 90+2.
Bookings: Greenwood 43, 47
Red card: Greenwood (second yellow)
Head coach: Phil Neville
Referee: Andromachi Tsiofliki (GRE)
