Jodie Taylor scores twice for ruthless Lionesses

Saturday 10 Jun 2017
Jodie Taylor scored twice for England in Switzerland

Jodie Taylor struck two second-half goals as England brushed aside Switzerland to step up their preparations for Euro 2017.

The Lionesses were in control throughout and it was little surprise to see them move ahead through Jordan Nobbs after half an hour.

Fran Kirby made it ahead of the interval before Taylor scored her eighth and ninth international goals after the break in Biel.

Switzerland 0-4 England
  • An International Match
  • Saturday 10 June 2017
  • Tissot Arena, Biel

England should have opened the scoring after 27 minutes following some lax Swiss defending. Lia Walti dallied in possession and her back pass was chased down by Taylor. Though keeper Gaelle Thalmann was first to the ball, she could only clear it in the direction of Fran Kirby, whose first time shot came back off the crossbar.

Nobbs spared her blushes though with the opening goal three minutes later. After exchanging passes with Demi Stokes on the left-flank, the Arsenal midfielder swerved a spectacular right-footed shot across goal and into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Kirby was on the scoresheet by half-time after latching onto a clearance from skipper Steph Houghton she held off defender Jana Brunner, skipped around Thalmann and tapped into an empty net.

Toni Duggan crashed a shot against the post within 60 seconds of the restart. The Manchester City forward timed her run perfectly to dash beyond the defence and meet Nobbs’ lofted pass, but her low shot hit the upright.

Taylor, a constant thorn in the side of the Swiss defence, made it three on 50 minutes, driving a low left-foot shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

She got her second from a similar position on 62 minutes, sweeping in first time, this time with her right foot, after good work from Nobbs on the flank.

The Lionesses are back in action against Denmark in Copenhagen on 1 July. 

England: 1 Karen Bardsley (Manchester City); 2 Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), 5 Steph Houghton (capt; Manchester City), 6 Millie Bright (Chelsea), 3 Demi Stokes (Manchester City); 7 Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), 4 Jade Moore (Reading), 8 Jill Scott (Manchester City), 11 Toni Duggan (Manchester City); 9 Jodie Taylor (Arsenal), 10 Fran Kirby (Chelsea)

Substitutes: 14 Jo Potter (Reading) for Bright 63, 12 Laura Bassett (Unattached) for Houghton 63, 16 Karen Carney (Chelsea) for Kirby 63, 15 Fara Williams (Arsenal) for Moore 63, 17 Nikita Parris (Manchester City) for Taylor, 20 Mary Earps (Reading) for Bardsley 75

Substitutes not used: 13 Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool), 18 Casey Stoney (Liverpool), 19 Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City), 21 Carly Telford (Chelsea)

Head coach: Mark Sampson

Goals: Nobbs 30, Kirby 40, Taylor 50, 62

Bookings: Bronze, Parris

By FA Staff