PEN & THINK

Cool Lionesses have spot-kicks sussed

- NEIL MOXLEY

RACHEL DALY had heavenly help, Chloe Kelly won a mental battle and Alex Greenwood said it was down to practise.

And skipper Millie Bright just wanted to protect the squad's secret.

As England basked in the glory of a second penalty shoot-out victory under Sarina Wiegman, it appears the quality of the strikes that sent the Lionesses into the World Cup quarter-finals did not just happen by chance.

All right, Georgia Stanway was well off the mark with the first effort against Nigeria but there wasn't any timidity about her shot - she just got her angles wrong.

Beth England strode up confidently to set the ball rolling and the rest finished the job to triumph 4-2.

Daly takes penalties for Aston Villa and has only seen one saved in her pro career.

But she believes she has a guardian angel. Her late father Martyn, who died suddenly two years ago, has been the source of her goal celebrations since then.