Wiegman's delight as Kendall scores first goal

ENGLAND manager Sarina Wiegman hailed a “special moment” for Lucia Kendall after she marked her second international start with a goal in a 2-0 win over Ghana.

- ROBERT O'CONNOR

The Aston Villa midfielder took advantage of a mistake in the visiting side's defence to knock the Lionesses into the lead after six minutes at St Mary’s on Tuesday night as the European champions rounded off a memorable 2025 with a routine victory.

Alessia Russo's penalty in stoppage time made the final score slightly more reflective of England's dominance, but in truth Ghana - despite a stubborn defensive showing - could count themselves lucky not to have been on the end of a thrashing.

The key takeaway for Wiegman was the experience the fixture gave to some of her second-string players, particularly with qualification for the 2027 World Cup set to start next year, with the goal from Kendall a special highlight.