The England Women's national team signed off a historic year in fitting style, securing a 2-0 victory over Ghana in a friendly at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium on Tuesday 02 December 2025.
Kendall's Early Strike Sets the Tone
In front of a damp crowd of 20,000 fans, Sarina Wiegman's European champions dominated proceedings from the outset. The breakthrough came after just six minutes. Chloe Kelly delivered a cross from the left, and a poor touch from Ghanaian defender Benedicte Simon fell perfectly for Lucia Kendall. The Aston Villa midfielder, earning only her third cap, made no mistake from eight yards, slotting home her first senior international goal in the city where she spent ten years as a youth player.
The first half was largely one-way traffic. Aggie Beever-Jones forced a save from goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan, while Missy Bo Kearns saw a dangerous cross nearly creep in at the far post. England's momentum suffered a setback when Chloe Kelly was forced off after 30 minutes with an apparent leg injury, a concern for her club side Arsenal. Before the break, Beth Mead set up Kearns for a shot straight at Konlan, and from the resulting corner, Kendall saw a powerful header bounce down onto the crossbar.
Persistent Pressure Finally Tells
The second half followed a similar pattern, with England laying siege to the Ghana goal. Lucy Bronze headed a Taylor Hinds cross against the woodwork, and moments later, Beever-Jones struck the same part of the bar. Further chances came and went, with Laura Blindkilde Brown setting up Beever-Jones for a deflected shot, and substitute Alessia Russo testing Konlan with a well-struck free-kick.
Ghana's resilient defence held firm until the second minute of stoppage time. A handball in the area presented England with a late penalty. Alessia Russo stepped up and calmly side-footed the spot-kick into the corner, finally doubling the lead and putting a more accurate reflection on the scoreline after a match of overwhelming English dominance.
Closing the Chapter on a Memorable Year
This match concluded England's celebratory 'homecoming series', a four-game tour marking their Euro 2025 triumph in Switzerland. The victory over Ghana made it three wins from those four fixtures. While the friendly lacked the competitive edge of their summer exploits, it provided valuable minutes for squad players as Wiegman begins planning for the next World Cup cycle, culminating in the 2027 tournament in Brazil.
The 2-0 scoreline barely reflected England's control of the game, but the result was a satisfying finale to an unforgettable year for the Lionesses, who continue to build momentum on the world stage.
