Lucia Kendall's fairytale goal helped the Lionesses see off Ghana on Tuesday night, with one of England's most exciting young prospects scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win and doing so at St Mary's Stadium, home of the Southampton side she represented for 10 memorable years. It was with the Saints that Kendall broke into senior football and when she made her international debut in October, she became the club's first ever Lioness, so it was fitting that she would find the back of the net on her return to a special venue.
That strike, created by a great cross from Chloe Kelly before she unfortunately limped off injured, came with just six minutes on the clock, potentially suggesting that England, fresh off the back of an 8-0 win over China at Wembley, were going to deliver yet another goal-fest. However, despite the dominance of Sarina Wiegman's side, and the chances they created with that possession, it wasn't until the final moments that a second came. Some of that was down to poor finishing, with Kelly and Missy Bo Kearns spurning some big chances; some of it was bad luck, as Aggie Beever-Jones and Lucy Bronze hit the woodwork; and some of it was because of strong goalkeeping, with Cynthia Konlan also making some great saves to deny Kearns and Russo.
While England failed to put the game to bed, Ghana, who finished third at this year's Africa Cup of Nations, had some chances to level the scores, too. One of the best fell to Doris Boaduwaa in the first half, but Anna Moorhouse, winning just her second cap, was able to comfortably hold onto a tame shot as her defence recovered well from a Lotte Wubben-Moy slip to apply pressure to Ghana's centre forward. It's fair to say that the Lionesses deserved to win, though, even if the scoreline was closer than many expected when Kendall hit the back of the net early on, and that they did, with Russo converting a late penalty to ensure her side closed out an incredibly memorable 2025, which saw them win a second successive European Championship title, with a victory.
GOAL rates England's players from St Mary's Stadium…
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Anna Moorhouse (6/10):
Had more to do here than she did against China and stood up tall when needed, even if she still wasn't tested much.
Lucy Bronze (8/10):
Another really effective performance in both halves, with her unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when a great header hit the woodwork.
Maya Le Tissier (7/10):
A strong display at centre-back again, as she took another opportunity to show why that is the position she should be playing for England.
Lotte Wubben-Moy (7/10):
Hasn't had many chances for England in recent times but took this one well, looking settled on the ball and recovering possession often.
Taylor Hinds (8/10):
Arguably the Lionesses' best performer on the night. Delivered plenty of great crosses, from open play and dead ball situations, while also covering ground defensively.
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Keira Walsh (7/10):
A quietly impressive display from the Chelsea star. Unlucky not to get an assist when Kelly missed the target after latching onto her sublime cross.
Lucia Kendall (7/10):
Showed great awareness in the box to break the deadlock in fairytale fashion. That was the highlight of another really encouraging display for the young midfielder in which she moved the ball well and worked hard off the ball.
Missy Bo Kearns (6/10):
Started slowly but grew into the game, getting on the end of a few good chances without being able to put any away. Needless booking.
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Jess Park (6/10):
Another lively display in which she asked questions of the Ghana defence, albeit without being able to be at her most creative and dangerous.
Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):
Unfortunate not to score when her header hit the woodwork. Created plenty for others and worked hard off the ball.
Chloe Kelly (N/A):
Made a lively start to the game, delivering the cross that led to the opening goal, before going off early with an injury.
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Beth Mead (7/10):
Picked up the speed of the game impressively fast, settling quickly to be lively from the get-go and create plenty.
Lauren Hemp (6/10):
Didn't get involved too much after coming on just past the hour but was exciting when on the ball. Could've scored, too, but sent her header over the bar.
Grace Clinton (6/10):
Another sub who couldn't make too much impact in attack but did plenty off the ball, winning six ground duels in her 30-minute cameo.
Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10):
Was positive and creative when in possession, showing real confidence after a strong start to the season at Man City.
Alessia Russo (N/A):
Only on for the final 15 minutes but forced a good save from the goalkeeper, produced the shot that led to England's penalty and then converted from the spot.
Anouk Denton (N/A):
Made her senior international debut in the final moments.
Sarina Wiegman (7/10):
Gave out plenty of opportunities in England's final game of 2025, before attention turns to qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup. That rotation and experimentation paid dividends, too, as the likes of Kendall and Hinds impressed and put their case forth for more chances in the New Year.
