KEIR RADNEDGE in MANCHESTER —– For England another year, another Euro. The UEFA European Women’s finals kicked off tonight at Old Trafford, some 11 months after the men’s championship was wrapped up at Wembley.

Once again an England team had to shoulder the weight of national expectation, this time under the guidance of Sarina Wiegmann who had coached hosts Netherlands to success in 2017. Once again the burden appeared a heavy one.

An early goal from Beth Mead provided England with an early advantage but they were unable to build on it and had to be satisfied only with a fragile 1-0 win and a 15th unbeaten game under Wiegmann’s management.

On one level the tournament was already a winner: a record-breaking 500,000 tickets had been sold to fans from 90-plus countries, with 20pc of ticket purchases coming from outside beyond the host nation. Some ticket orders had been placed from as far afield as North America, China, and Australia.

The tournament had been pushed back a year because of the pandemic but even this, according to UEFA president Aleksandr Ceferin, could be turned to advantage.

He said: “The delay, while initially frustrating, has ultimately played to the advantage of the women’s game. The Women’s Euro has now become this summer’s major footballing attraction. It will capture the sporting headlines, put women’s football into the spotlight around the world, and, most important, attract a legion of new followers to the game.”

A further Euro record 68,871 of those followers packed Old Trafford in time for the usual excitement-generating pre-match ceremonials with flags, banners, fireworks and national anthems.

Lively opening

So, after all the promotional imagery, to the action.

Austria made a busy start and caught England embarrassingly in possession more than once but without capitalising. England’s response was punishing with the hosts opening the scoring in the 16th minute.

Mead took an angled pass from Fran Kirby on her chest and lobbed it over oncoming keeper Manuela Zinsberger, her Arsenal clubmate. The ball struck the underside of the bar and was bouncing down behind the line when Carina Wenninger hacked it clear, too late.

More goals appeared an inevitable likely reward for the midfield diligence of Fran Kirby, the steadiness of Lucy Bronze from rightback plus the wing aggression of Lauren Hemp and the danger of the lurking Ellen White.

Wasted opening

However White missed a chance to make it two in the 24th minute, glancing a header wide in front of an open goal, then Zinsberger saved with an outstretched leg from Lauren Hemp just before halftime.

England had won all previous seven meetings with Austria. The visitors pulled their midfielders deeper to protect defence after the interval yet also created the initial opening of the second half only for Katharina Naschenweng to hack a shot wide.

Wiegmann must have growing increasingly frustrated at her team’s inability to stamp their authority on the game. She ordered up a triple change by removing Kirby, Mead and White but to little immediate effect.

Instead Austria might have equalised with 13 minutes remaining. Goalkeeper Maria Earps had to leap to her left to push an angled drive from midfielder Barbara Dunst for a corner then Austria claimed a penalty for hands in vain against Leah Williamson. Earps was soon in action against to deny Laura Feiersinger.

Thus England hung on and were delighted with the result though, doubtless, not the performance.

###########