Norway 2-1 England: Lionesses Suffer World Cup Revenge After Georgia Stanway Screamer
Phil Neville's Lionesses suffered a 2-1 defeat in their last friendly match ahead of the new Women's Super League season, with Norway getting revenge after being knocked up of the World Cup by England in June.
It was a game which ultimately had the feel of a pre-season friendly but England's Georgia Stanway didn't get the memo and the 20-year-old scored a stunning long-range effort with just 10 minutes on the clock.
It wasn't just Stanway's first-time effort which caught the eye, however, as Steph Houghton powerful pass and Nikita Parris' assist helped cement the goal as one of their best under Neville's management.
Frida Maanum pulled Norway back on level terms shortly after the half-time break as England threw away a lead for the second time in as many games.
It was another indictment of England's poor marking from set-pieces, something which will have to be addressed if the Lionesses want to get back to winning silverware.
Tuesday's hosts kept adding pressure and would eventually find a winner, but not before a moment of class for Norway legend Ingrid Hjelmseth received a well-deserved standing ovation from the home crowd in her last ever international appearances.
After making her debut in 2003, Hjelmseth has gone on to make 138 appearances for Norway.
As England pressed to try and find a late winner, Norway pounced with a stunning counter-attack to secure a win at the Brann Stadion.
Having lost to England at the Women's World Cup earlier this year, Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen showed fantastic composure to just over a tackle in the penalty are before smashing the ball into the back of the net.
The Lionesses won't be back in action until 5 October when they host Brazil, but the Women's Super League kicks off this weekend.
There are just two games on Saturday before the rest of the league catches up 24 hours later, but fans will have the chance to see the first-ever Manchester derby in women's football when United travel to City in one of the first games of the season.
