Goals were scarce in three of the four games on matchday two of the UEFA Women's under-17 Championship, but the same could not be said in England's tussle with Belarus.

England take charge of Group A

The hosts, Belarus, had been soundly beaten in their opening meeting with Serbia and were hoping to avoid a repeat performance against a strong England side. Their fears were soon realised when Ella Ann Toone struck within the opening five minutes. Anna Filbey and Alessia Russo then heaped further misery on the hosts, notching quick-fire braces. Captain Georgia Stanway then added a goal for herself and Toone scored her second of the game to make it seven-nil at half-time.

To their credit, Belarus held England off until the 70th minute - then the floodgates opened. Hannah Cain and Grace Smith both got two goals, with Ellie Brazil chipping in with a one of her own, to take the score to a record-breaking 12-0. Never before has such a score been seen in all of UEFA finals history. The win kept the English top with the only 100% record left in the competition, while Belarus are rooted to last place.

In the other Group A tussle, Norway secured a vital win over Serbia. Frida Maanum's free-kick was enough to seal the three points for Norway, despite a late surge from their opponents. Tanja Djapić was in fine form to give Serbia a chance in the game but, ultimately, they couldn't find a way to goal. The Norwegians are now in the driving seat to qualify, even after dropping points against England, with a game against Belarus to come; Serbia will have to better Norway's result to make it out of the group.

Spain celebrate the winning goal in their game. | Image credit: Sportsfile UEFA
Spain celebrate the winning goal in their game. | Image credit: Sportsfile UEFA

Spain become Group B leaders as Germany and Italy draw

In Group B, Spain broke the run of draws from the first day as they earned a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over the Czech RepublicLorena Navarro scored the crucial goal in the second half, though she could have doubled that lead after missing a free header. Gabriela Lipková kept the Czechs in the game with a string of saves, though they ultimately proved in vain. Spain are top with four points and face Italy next, while the Czech Republic face Germany.

The other match ending goalless, as Germany and Italy failed to find a winner for the second group game in a row. The Germans dominated but Nicole Lauria was in fine form, denying both Caroline Siems and Kristin Kögel. There were further chances for Anouschka Bernhard's side but no goal was forthcoming. The two teams still have qualification in their own hands, knowing that a win will guarantee both a place in the top two.

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About the author
Jonathan Walsh
SoccerSight IFA commentator. VAVEL deputy editor-in-chief/VAVEL Bundesliga editor-in-chief and writer. Email: [email protected]