France dump England out
England suffered a miserable conclusion to their UEFA Women's Championship campaign as France ran out comprehensive 3-0 winners at the Linkoping Arena.
Needing a win to guarantee their progression from Group C, England were up against it when Eugenie Le Sommer fired France ahead in the 10th minute.
A brief second-half revival gave way when Louisa Necib and Wendie Renard put France out of sight and into the quarter-finals, leaving England to head home from Sweden early.
France looked dangerous from the early exchanges and inside eight minutes Le Sommer had fired England a warning shot.
A swift team move down the left wing saw Necib free her Lyon team-mate on the edge of the D - but her solid shot rattled a post, to the relief of England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley.
Le Sommer had bared her teeth and, although Bardsley shaped herself better for the Frenchwoman's second attempt, she would be beaten in the 10th minute.
This time Elodie Thomis was unchecked as she jinked down the right wing and she had no trouble picking Le Sommer out for a low shot to the far corner.
England tried to closed ranks, with mixed success, and Sandrine Soubeyrand was restricted to a long-range effort in the 19th minute.
But the French dominance saw Necib try her luck three minutes later and this time Bardsley got her fingertips to a powerful strike from the playmaker.
Hope Powell's side reached the break without further incident but the England coach opted to replace Anita Asante with the less defensive-minded Jill Scott for the second half.
The tactical change did little to keep France at bay, however, and Thomis was soon causing more problems with her pace to pick up Necib's through ball in a good position.
Thomis blazed her shot wide but the best was yet to come for France, who ended the game as a contest with a double salvo on the hour-mark.
Just after Toni Duggan had fired over the French goal, Necib found space to twist and hook the ball past Bardsley at the other end of the field.
England had been caught cold and their tournament hopes were left hanging by a fine thread when Renard nodded home a third goal from a Necib corner.
Bruno Bini's women continued to probe and Thomis came closest to finding a fourth goal with a dragged effort on 69 minutes.
There was no sign of resignation in the England camp, though, and Alex Scott almost provided some late cheer with an angled drive that flew just wide of the mark.
