Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: England, Womens World Cup, Womens Football
Ryan Smart
England are through to the Women's World Cup quarter-finals after a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout win over Nigeria in Brisbane.
Chloe Kelly was one of the Lionesses' heroes once again, firing her penalty into the top corner to win the shootout for Sarina Wiegman's side after the game finished 0-0 after extra time.
Alex Greenwood, Rachel Daly and Beth England also found the net with their spot kicks as England emerged through a major test in the round of 16.
They had to play the final minutes of normal time, and the entirety of extra time, with 10 players after Lauren James received a straight red card for violent conduct towards Nigeria's Michelle Alozie.
They will now face Colombia or Jamaica in the quarter-final, which takes place on August 12.
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England survive scare in Women's World Cup
The sending off of James put England's position into question on 87 minutes, having already struggled to break the deadlock against an impressive Nigeria team.
They came close on 75 minutes when Daly's header was well saved, but had to balance being defensively solid with trying to find the winner.
That winning goal did not arrive in extra time, meaning a dramatic penalty shootout.
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But it got off to the worst possible start for the Lionesses, with midfielder Georgia Stanway putting her penalty wide.
Nigeria’s Desire Oparanozie then produced almost a carbon copy with her spot kick, meaning the scores remained level.
Beth England then made no mistake with her penalty, firing it down the middle, with Daly then emphatically finding the top left corner.
In between those spot kicks, Alozie hit her effort over the bar, giving England a 2-0 advantage.
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Rasheedat Ajibade then kept Nigeria in the contest with a calm penalty, before Greenwood put the Lionesses on the brink with an inch-perfect strike.
After Christy Ucheibe scored, it was up to Kelly, perhaps fittingly, to repeat her Euro 2022 final heroics by netting the winning penalty.
And the Manchester City star did just that, blasting her penalty confidently into the top corner to send England players, staff and supporters into raptures after what had been a more than challenging evening.