England overcame Nigeria 4-2 on penalties after two hours of scoreless football in front of 49,461 fans at Suncorp Stadium had been punctuated by the 84th minute sending-off of Lauren James. "The Lionesses" enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, but Nigeria was first to threaten, via Toni Payne's thirteenth minute corner. She picked out the head of Michelle Alozie, whose goalbound header was headed to safety by Alessia Russo. Three minutes later, the "Super Falcons" went desperately close to breaking the deadlock following Ashleigh Plumptre's ball forward. Alex Greenwood's vital headed clearance prevented Rasheedat Ajibade from latching onto it, but Uchenna Kanu picked up the pieces and crossed to the near post. The recovering figure of Greenwood headed the ball way, the ball arriving back at the feet of Plumptre, who was playing against the country of her birth. She proved there were no split loyalties in her next action, a thunderous twenty-five yard drive which slammed against the crossbar, England goalkeeper Mary Earps flailing in vain. England scrambled the ball away, but only as far as Plumptre, who evaded a challenge before letting fly from the edge of the penalty area, drawing a fine save to her right from Earps, who saw the ball late and did well to turn it to safety. Having survived that scare, England, who had yet to threaten as an attacking force, were nearly gifted a goal by Blessing Demehin, who made a complete hash of clearing the ball up-field in the 23rd minute. Russo pounced instantly and let fly with a first-time twenty-five yard drive which Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, standing eight yards off her line, plunged to her left to deny. Buoyed by that close call, Sarina Wiegman's team pressed again four minutes later. Greenwood delivered a corner to the near post wasn't cleared, inviting Rachel Daly to unleash an eight-yard volley which Nnadozie saw late and did well just to parry. Nigeria scrambled the ball to safety, but were in trouble in the 31st minute when Honduras referee Melissa Borjas pointed to the penalty spot as Daly went down in the area under the challenge of Ajibade as a Greenwood free-kick hurtled into the goalmouth. The Video Assistant Referee came to the party, and prompted the official to reconsider her decision, Borjas concurring that a penalty wasn't appropriate on this occasion as Daly had made the most of the contact and gone to ground far too easily - spot-kick overturned! But where was the yellow card for simulation? Daly, too, was as relieved as Nigeria on this occasion, but for different reasons. Back came the "Super Falcons", Milly Bright blocking an Ajibade drive, with Christy Ucheibe firing the rebound wide in the 36th minute. Two minutes later, at the other end of the pitch, Demehin turned the tables on Lauren Hemp in the penalty area after the striker had initially got the better of the defender as she led an England attack. With the half-time whistle looming, Hemp threatened again, this time on the left. Her cross, intended for Russo, was cleared in unorthodox fashion by Nnadozie, who looked on as Demehin cleared the danger following a smart England move which featured Keira Walsh switching play to Lucy Bronze, who looked to play Russo in behind the defence. The second spell was two minutes old when Payne worked an opening with Ajibade on the left, from where she delivered a cross to the far post. Kanu's looping header hit the top of the crossbar. Seven minutes later, Alozie and Kanu combined on the right, the latter's cross fizzing just behind the incoming figure of Ifeona Onumonu as she raced in to the near post looking to turn it home, her only contribution of note to the match before the introduction of Asisat Oshoala just shy of the hour

mark. Russo headed past the post from a Greenwood free-kick prior to her appearance, while immediately after it, Daly sent a volley flying past the post after being picked out by Georgia Stanway's cross. The game was becoming attritional in nature, with defences dominant and chances at a premium. In the 72nd minute, Kanu went close with a header from a Payne corner, to which England responded with a corner of their own four minutes later, Greenwood's delivery culminating in a thumping header from Daly which drew a superb reflex save from Nnadozie, who recovered well to keep out Russo's bid to head home the rebound. Ten minutes from time, a stray Daly pass was pounced on by Payne, who worked a one-two with Oshoala before crossing to the far post. Alozie came flying in to meet it, but just failed to make contact with the ball. Nigeria had done a brilliant job in containing England's danger-woman, Lauren James - the marking job executed by Halimatu Ayinde was so effective that James barely touched the ball in the entire contest. So when she clashed with Alozie six minutes from time, a tangle borne out of frustration, referee Borjas found reason to brandish the yellow card. VAR had a look at James' actions, however, and recommended the card be upgraded to red, James having deliberately stood on the prone figure of Alozie as she got up from their coming together. The official agreed, and off James went, reducing England to ten women for the duration. They saw out the rest of regulation time without incident, then bunkered down for an additional half-hour of action, during which Nigeria threatened to break the deadlock on a handful of occasions. Alozie went down in the area under Bronze's 92nd minute challenge, but a penalty wasn't forthcoming on this occasion, while six minutes later, Alozie fired wildly past the post after Oshoala and fellow substitute Jennifer Echegini had combined to create the opportunity. Oshoala saw a cross-shot skim the top of the crossbar in the 103rd minute, then drew a save from Earps fourteen minutes later from a shot on the turn - Nigeria's first shot on target for exactly one hundred minutes! They threatened a late winner as the game entered stoppage time in extra time, but not before England had come close to clinching victory when Beth England's glancing header from another Greenwood free-kick - the England defender was sound as a pound throughout proceedings - deflected off Demehin, taking the ball away from Bright as she looked to turn it home on the far post. The final whistle sounded, the ninth time in this tournament a game had concluded without a goal being scored. And the initial penalties in the shootout maintained that theme, with both Stanway and Desire Oparanozie blazing past the same upright from the twelve yard mark. England put her country in front with her spot-kick, and when Alozie blazed her penalty over the bar, England were in the driving seat, and remained so after Daly, Greenwood and Chloe Kelly converted their spot kicks to clinch a 4-2 penalty shootout triumph for the European champions, much to the dismay of a Nigerian side which was bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1999. England:     Earps; Carter, Bright, Greenwood; Bronze, Stanway, James (sent off, 84), Walsh (Zelem, 120), Daly; Russo (Kelly, 88), Hemp (England, 106) Nigeria:     Nnadozie; Alozie, Ohale, Demehin, Plumptre; Ucheibe, Payne, (Oparanozie, 114), Ayinde (Echegini, 91); Ajibade, Kanu (Ordega, 81), Onumonu (Oshoala, 58) Referee:     Melissa Borjas (Honduras)