THE LIONESSES have lift-off thanks to Lauren James.
England produced a brilliant response to silence their critics and roar past Holland 4-0 to finally get their European Championship defence going.
AFPEngland bounced back from defeat to France with a demolition of Holland[/caption]
AFPLauren James bagged a brace thanks to first and second-half goals[/caption]
SHUTTERSTOCKGeorgia Stanway made it 2-0 in the first half[/caption]
A brace from James provided the perfect tonic to cure any potential hangover from the opening day defea tby France.
And Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone added the finishing touches as they sent out an ominous warning to Wales.
The pressure was on holders England and Sarina Wiegman going into this one at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich.
Another loss could potentially have ended their hopes of retaining the crown and meant Sunday’s showdown with the Welsh could have been a dead rubber.
But England will secure a place in the knockouts if they triumph in the Battle of Britain clash in St Gallen.
Wiegman, who led her home nation, the Netherlands, to Euro joy in 2017, demanded a reaction after the 2-1 setback against the French.
Rather than get caught up in any hysteria, the experienced coach instead called for her troops to do their talking on the pitch. And they did just that.
England, with Toone in for Beth Mead as their only change, flew out the traps.
Lauren Hemp’s trickery down the left led to her putting it on a plate for Alessia Russo, but the forward could only head wide unmarked from six yards.
Holland survived that one, but they could do nothing to stop the genius of James moments later.
The move started with goalkeeper Hannah Hampton picking out Russo with a brilliant low pass into her feet.
The 26-year-old Arsenal ace slipped it to James on the edge of the box and she cut in from the right, working it on to her left, and unleashed a piledriver straight into the top corner.
The Chelsea star, whose older brother Reece also plays for the Blues and England, is fast turning into THE key player for Wiegman.
She has eight goals and eight assists in her last 13 starts for her country and showed everybody why she is one of the first names on the team-sheet.
James nearly returned the favour for Russo, but the latter could only flick her floated strike wide.
The pressure was mounting and they got their reward when Stanway rifled low into the bottom right corner from 25 yards before the break.
GETTYElla Toone put an exclamation mark on the victory in the 67th minute[/caption]
SHUTTERSTOCKAlessia Russo bagged a hat-trick of assists against the Dutch[/caption]
The floodgates were open, and James could smell blood.
Pinball in the Dutch box led to Toone’s shot deflecting to her, and she coolly slotted home from eight yards for her second.
The Lionesses were still on the hunt and hungry for more, and they did not have to wait long to bite another chunk out of their completely outclassed opponents.
Russo made it a hat-trick of assists as she teed up best pal Toone to score the fourth.
Finally, and perhaps mercifully for them, Holland did have something to smile about when James made way to a huge ovation late on.
Her work was done here. Now both she and England know the job in hand – beat Wales and it’s off to the last-eight.
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