Park grabs winner as England hold on for Nations League victory over Spain

England’s gutsy, industrious and confident performance against Spain perhaps mattered more than the result, but boy did they need a big win too. It’s fair to say the past few months have not been easy for Sarina Wiegman’s side, the context around two wins from five games since their Euros qualifying campaign a little lost, but a win over World Cup holders Spain to put them level on points with Portugal in their Nations League group lifts a pressure that perhaps shouldn’t be there.

The England manager has repeatedly cautioned against expectations of a clean run of wins in the Euros in Switzerland this summer. “The game has changed,” she has repeated often, the introduction of the Nations League elevating the level of opposition the Lionesses meet on a regular basis.

No game is easy anymore, it’s a cliché, but it’s a fact. Against Portugal England thrilled in the first half and struggled in the second, a formation change and fresh personnel frustrating Wiegman’s charges and producing the leveller. How would England fare when swapping a team ranked 22 for the World Cup holders and number two team on the planet?.

It turns out, pretty well. Wiegman made one change from the team that earned a 1-1 draw in Portugal, with Hannah Hampton, who is liked for her distribution, coming in for Mary Earps in goal as the battle for the number one shirt at the Euros hots up. Montse Tomé made more extensive changes for the trip to London, with five players swapped out from the starting XI for their late 3-2 comeback win over Belgium on Friday.

The opening 15 minutes were nervy ones for the home team, but they weathered the red storm around them, holding their shape and composure against a team that can bamboozle the best players with their guile and possession-laden football. Salma Paralluelo posed a threat on the left and slithered into the box evading both Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson before Millie Bright powered the ball away. Less than five minutes later the former Manchester United forward Lucía García capitalised from a corner to clip the ball off the underside of the bar.

The Lionesses grew into the game though, Bronze and Lauren James particularly effective on either flank. This was a streetwise performance from the Chelsea duo and their England teammates, Bronze’s grin after she had hustled and harassed Aitana Bonmatí to put the ball out for a corner kick symbolic of that.

In the 23rd minute England registered their first real chance and James was the instigator, getting the better of Ona Batlle deep into England’s half before releasing Niamh Charles on the left. The full-back was taken down by the Spain captain Irene Paredes and James stung the hands of goalkeeper Cata Coll from the resulting free-kick.

James would get a chance on the other side soon after, latching onto Bright’s crossfield ball from deep before attempting to chip Coll from close range, but the keeper was ready for it. The home team could have had a penalty from the resulting corner, as Williamson’s hand was clung to and dragged back as she raced into the box, but nothing was given.

Sign up to Moving the Goalposts. No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women’s football. after newsletter promotion. The would be reward for their patience and persistence just after the half-hour mark though, Grace Clinton finding Alessia Russo who spun and drove into the box, her shot coming off the foot of Paredes and turned in by Jess Park via the leg of World Cup final goalscorer Olga Carmona.

England would be the far happier side at the break, having held off the world champions, a big save from Hampton ensuring their slender lead was maintained. Much like the opening 15 minutes, Spain had chances early in the second half but England looked more settled and assured under pressure.

There would be a moment for pause and tactical tweaks in the 50th minute as the floodlights failed, allowing both sides to crowd round their respective dugouts. After the lights out interlude, play resumed with the same intensity and Wiegman made a double attacking change just past the hour-mark, introducing Nikita Parris and Chloe Kelly to maintain the energy out wide, as they sought to lift the pressure a narrow margin ensures.

Still, the indomitable James, who had looked quite out of sorts against Portugal, was England’s livewire, forcing a fingertip save from Coll at one end one minute and crowding out Paralluelo with Bright and Williamson the next. There was a late push for an equaliser, but bodies were put on the line as England clung on to a morale-boosting win. This is not the Spain of the World Cup, they are a different beast and have been through a lot on and off the pitch, but they still maintain a grit that was evident in their late victory against Belgium.