England 2-1 South Africa: Player ratings as Lionesses get back to winning ways

England secured a narrow 2-1 victory over South Africa in a friendly at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Tuesday evening.

The result was an improvement on Friday's disappointing defeat to Germany at Wembley on Friday, but the performance itself was similar in nature. England were sloppy for large spells and gifted their opponents a route back into the game after initially taking the lead.

Sarina Wiegman will need to see drastic improvements ahead of the November international break as the Lionesses are set to face both the USA and Switzerland. There is also only eight months to go until the UEFA Women's Euro 2025.

How the game unfolded

It took England a little over ten minutes to open the scoring after Jess Naz picked out Leah Williamson in the box following a corner routine. The Arsenal defender was able to drive a low strike into the bottom corner.

South Africa nearly equalised minutes later after Esme Morgan lost the ball in a dangerous area. It was another defensive mess for England, but Grace Clinton was able to get back and clear the effort off the line.

England's second goal of the night was made in Manchester as a fantastic attacking move from the hosts ended with Maya Le Tissier picking out Clinton in the box, and the midfielder headed an effort beyond Kaylin Swart in the South Africa goal.

The sloppy passing is something Wiegman will be eager to fix ahead of the next international break as they gifted South Africa a handful of chances in the first half. Stronger teams will undoubtedly punish them, as England learnt on Friday night against Germany.

In the second half, England were made to pay for one such error after Williamson misplaced a simple pass to Georgia Stanway. Thembi Kgatlana picked up the loose ball and charged forward to slot beyond Mary Earps.

The England goalkeeper was forced into a big save with a little over ten minutes left to play to deny a certain equaliser. The hosts struggled to create many clear-cut chances in the second half until substitute Ella Toone drew a strong save in the 80th minute.

Despite a handful of chances in the final minutes of the game, England were unable to add to their tally. Substitutes Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo had chances, but the two goals in the first half proved to be enough on the night.

England player ratings (4-3-3)

GK: Mary Earps - 7/10 - Didn't have an awful lot to do, but was there to make a handful of saves when needed. Commanded her back line, but not a lot she could have done for the visitor's goal. Made a crucial save late on to deny a certain equaliser.

RB: Maya Le Tissier - 7/10 - Picked out Clinton for England's second of the night. Switched over to left-back when Lucy Bronze replaced Esme Morgan. Decent outing.

CB: Alex Greenwood - 7/10 - Strong set-piece delivery but, like the rest of the defence, was sloppy at times. Struggled when South Africa were on top in the second half.

CB: Leah Williamson - 6/10 - Scored the opening goal for England and the outpour of emotion underlined just how much it was needed for the Arsenal star. But, a mistake in the second half allowed South Africa to get back into the game.

LB: Esme Morgan - 5/10 - Very nearly gifted South Africa an equaliser in the first half, but was fortunate her teammates were able to recover. Fair to say she struggled.

CM: Georgia Stanway - 6/10 - Started in a deeper role tonight in place of Keira Walsh. Sloppy in possession at times, but her work rate cannot be faulted.

CM: Grace Clinton - 8/10 - Cleared a South Africa effort off the line in the first half to deny a certain goal. A clean header for England's second goal of the night.

CM: Jess Park - 7/10 - An improvement on Friday night's performance against Germany. Prone to turning the ball over on occasion, but helped dictate the tempo of the game before she was substituted in the second half.

RW: Chloe Kelly - 7/10 - Her runs into the channels were a strong outlet for England. She worked hard and looked sharp, despite the lack of game time for her club. Hit the crossbar with a strong strike in the second half.

ST: Jess Naz - 7/10 - Set up Williamson for the opener in the first half. Used her pace well to make runs in behind, and her hold up play was strong. A quieter game than she would have hoped for.

LW: Beth Mead - 6/10 - A pretty quiet game from the Arsenal star. Didn't offer much before she was substituted in the second half.

Substitutes

SUB: Alessia Russo (60' for Jess Naz) - 7/10

SUB: Lucy Bronze (60' for Esme Morgan) - 7/10

SUB: Fran Kirby (60' for Jess Park) - 7/10

SUB: Ella Toone (60' for Grace Clinton) - 7/10

SUB: Lauren Hemp (72' for Beth Mead) - 7/10

SUB: Millie Bright (72' for Leah Williamson) - 7/10

Subs not used: Hannah Hampton (GK), Anna Moorhouse (GK), Keira Walsh, Aggie Beever-Jones, Jess Carter, Lucy Parker

Manager

Sarina Wiegman - 6/10 - A win is a win, but the manager will not be happy with the overall performance. Made changes to the starting lineup and wasn't afraid to test new combinations, and used her substitutions well in the second half. But, there's a lot of work to do if they're to have any hope of retaining their title as European champions.

Player of the match - Grace Clinton (England)

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