Sampson hails England progression

18 June 2015 05:16

England manager Mark Sampson praised his side for a job well done against Colombia as they booked a place in the last 16 of the Women's World Cup.

A smart close-range finish from Karen Carney followed by a penalty from Fara Williams gave the Lionesses a two-goal lead at half-time, a scoreline that stood until Lady Andrade's chipped finish in injury-time created late drama.

The 2-1 victory ensured England claimed second place in Group F and left Sampson a satisfied coach.

"Congratulations to the team - it was a good performance," he told BBC Three.

"They showed good character and saw the game out with maturity.

"It was a game of two halves, the team showed good creativity in the first half and probably deserved more than they got.

"Every time we got to the final third it was a foul so we had to rely on set-pieces.

"It was a good team performance. The forwards in the first half - the Kirbys, the Carneys, the Duggans, all worked incredibly hard.

"Karen Bardsley made a big save too, so overall it was a good team performance."

Source: PA