England finished fourth in the Cyprus Cup following a 3-1 defeat to Italy on Tuesday.
Jade Moore gave England the lead on 25 minutes with her first senior team goal after being set up by Rachel Williams. Hope Powell’s side took this lead into the break, but Italy turned things around after the interval, with Patrizia Panico starting their comeback just before the hour mark.
Pamela Conti then put the Italians in front after 64 minutes and Melania Gabbiadini completed the scoring four minutes from time.
Despite her side’s play-off defeat, head coach Hope Powell lauded the benefits of playing in the Cup.
“I love this tournament,” she said, in summary. “It gives me a good opportunity to have a look at all of the players.
“It’s good for them to experience the tournament environment, under a little bit of pressure. It also gives me a chance to experiment and try a few new things, so all in all it was a really valuable exercise, as it always is and we’ll grow as a result.”
England opened their Cyprus Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win over Finland at the end of last month before a narrow 1-0 win over a tough Switzerland side two days later, a game in which midfielder Fara Williams celebrated her 100th cap by scoring the winning goal.
They lost their final group game to eventual tournament victors France and were required to compete for third place with Italy.
“It was a good contest,” said Powell of Tuesday’s play-off. “A good opportunity to look at some other players to give them more experience.
“We did play quite well and it was a pretty even game. I’m not sure Italy would agree, but to be fair to them they were very clinical in front of goal.”
Powell also reserved a few words of praise for Williams and Casey Stoney, who also made her 100th international appearance in the Cyprus Cup, against the French.
“Both of them have been leaders for us over the years,” she said. “They lead by example and it’s a great achievement for them both. They have been great servants to the women’s game and hopefully it can continue.”
This friendly tournament ultimately provided the Three Lions with the opportunity to prepare for their Euro 2013 qualifier against Croatia at the end of the month.
The FA.com,
Sportsister, The Women’s Sports Magazine
