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England go through to Finl

England defeated Poland 2-0 in their semi final on Wednesday to secure their place in a first ever final of the UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championships as well as qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup later this year.

Goals from Niamh Peacock and Vera Jones helped seal the victory for the Young Lionesses, who have now won all four of their games at the competition in Sweden.

England started the semi final fast, with midfielder Jones coming close to opening the scoring early. She saw her deflected strike hit the woodwork after displaying some nice footwork inside the box.

Natalie Henderson’s side would continue to apply early pressure, with this paying off at the 30-minute mark. A looping cross from Lola Brown was spilt by the goalkeeper, presenting Peacock with a simple chance to take the lead.

England looked to capitalise on this momentum, with some wonderful footwork on show again as Jones slalomed her way into the box before doubling their advantage.

Poland started the quicker of the two sides in the second half, with Hope McSheffrey being called upon on a handful of occasions to start the second period. Chances for the Young Lionesses were scarce in the second half, as Henderson's side looked to stay compact to halt the Polish threat and show impressive game management knowing what was at stake.

With a golden chance squandered by midfielder Weronika Arasniewicz midway through the second half, Poland were unable to find a footing back into the game.

England went on to secure the victory and clean sheet after a strong defensive performance, which also ensured qualification for the U17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic later this year.

Having dispatched of their opposition convincingly throughout the tournament, England will now return to Malmo to focus on their final this Saturday when they face off with Spain to determine the winners. Spain also progressed impressively with a 6-1 victory over France and are set to be formidable opponents.

The final will kick off at 4pm BST and be available to watch on the BBC in the UK.

England Under-17: Hope McSheffrey, Nelly Las, Rachel Maltby, Laila Harbert, Cecily Wellesley-Smith, Erica Parkinson, Isabella Fisher, Vera Jones (sub Emily Cassap 80mins), Lola Brown, Niamh Peacock, Jane Oboavwoduo. Subs not used: Rebekah Dowsett, Sophie Harrison, Omotara Junaid, Olivia Hibbert-Johnson, Eva Gray, Simone Sherwood, Isabel Hebard.  

(www.englandfootball.com)   

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