England beat Denmark for second Women's World Cup win as Lauren James scores stunner
England star Lauren James scored the winner in Denmark Women's World Cup clash
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Lauren James scored a stunner as England picked up their second win at the Women's World Cup.
The Lionesses had gone into the game on a high after beating Haiti 1-0 in their opening match, with Georgia Stanway scoring the only goal of that contest.
And England have now secured their second victory after James struck in the sixth minute.
The Chelsea star, whose brother Reece plays for the men's side, broke the deadlock with a sensational effort from the edge of the box.
England midfielder Lauren James celebrates her goal in Denmark Women's World Cup clash
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James then celebrated with gusto, with the 21-year-old starting her first match of the tournament having been named on the bench for the Haiti clash.
It was just what England deserved, with Sarina Wiegman's side dominating the early stages of the contest.
England dominated possession, while also managing more shots than their opponent.
But while the Lionesses were able to pick up a second win from as many matches, the match was soured by an injury to Keira Walsh.
Walsh was one of the best players for England as they won the European Championships last summer.
The 26-year-old was particularly outstanding in the 2-1 victory over Germany in the final that sent the country into a state of ecstasy.
But, now, Walsh's future involvement in the tournament is up in the air.
The midfielder picked up a knee injury in the first half, with the Barcelona maestro's studs appearing to get stuck in the turf.
Walsh was visibly distressed in the immediate aftermath and signalled to the bench that she needed to come off.
Team-mates rushed to console the former Blackburn and Manchester City star, though she batted away their concerns.
Walsh was later stretchered off the field of play and England face an anxious wait as they prepare for their final group stage match with China on Tuesday.
China opened their tournament against Denmark on Saturday and lost 1-0.
They'll be hoping to bounce back when they lock horns with Haiti on Friday afternoon (12pm).
Overall it was a positive result and performance from England.
But Wiegman will want even more from her side if England are to win the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history.
England have fallen in the semi-finals at the last two tournaments.
They finished fourth in France in 2019, while securing a third-placed finish in Canada four years previously.
Before that, the furthest England had ever got in the competition was the quarter-finals.
They reached the last eight in 1995, 2007 and 2011 at tournaments held in Sweden, China and Germany respectively.
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England suffered a blow with Keira Walsh stretchered out of Denmark Women's World Cup win
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And whether England can go all the way in Australia and New Zealand this summer remains to be seen.
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