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.
Source: PA
