Wednesday 4 March 2015 23:36, UK
England got off to a winning start in the Cyprus Cup with a 3-1 win over Finland courtesy of goals from Lianne Sanderson, Eni Aluko and Jess Clarke.
But Mark Sampson’s side finished the match with 10 players after Gemma Bonner was sent off late on for tripping Annika Kukkonen in the box, allowing Maija Saari to convert from the penalty spot.
Competing in their sixth consecutive Cyprus Cup, England made eight changes from the side that lost 1-0 USA in Milton Keynes last month.
They made a positive start to the game with Aluko, Fara Williams, Demi Stokes and Sanderson all going close before England opened the scoring on midway through the first half.
Notts County Ladies full-back Alex Greenwood delivered a deep cross for Arsenal Ladies striker Lianne Sanderson to head home at the far post.
Aluko doubled England’s lead just after the hour mark after slotting the ball into the back of the net from 10 yards after Clarke’s pull-back from the byline.
Clarke turned goalscorer seven minutes from time after lashing a cross from substitute Alex Scott into the roof of the net.
Bonner was dismissed in the 89th minute after conceding a penalty which was despatched by Saari, preventing a repeat of the scoreline when the side’s met in last year’s tournament.
Prior to the game, England announced former captain Casey Stoney has been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.
Notts County centre-half Amy Turney has been called up in place of Stoney and will arrive in Cyprus on Thursday ahead of England’s game with Australia in Nicosia the following day.
Elsewhere, Jayne Ludlow’s first match in charge of Wales ended in a 1-0 defeat to France at the Istria Cup in Croatia.
Marina Makanza's scored the game’s only goal in the 38th-minute. Wales’ next game of the tournament is against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday.
