Kerr and Grant strike as Australia end sloppy England’s long unbeaten run

The spectre of defeat loomed over England as each game extended their impressive unbeaten run under Sarina Wiegman.

That the 30-game run came to an end with a limp and frustrating performance in a 2-0 defeat to World Cup co-hosts Australia in the team's final match before the manager names her squad is far from ideal.

Yes, it has punctured an air of almost invincibility but perhaps it is not the worst thing to get a loss out of the way before the tournament begins in July. It was Sam Kerr that delivered the first blow, and then was on hand to provide the assist for the second, Charlotte Grant's header from her cross taking a wicked deflection off England captain Leah Williamson to send goalkeeper Mary Earps the wrong way.

As promised there was little change to the starting XI that faced Brazil in the Finalissima the preceding Thursday, with Wiegman choosing to go with a line-up as close to the one we will likely see at the World Cup, injuries considered.

There were two changes to the team which beat Brazil on penalties, one was enforced, with Esme Morgan replacing injured Alex Greenwood at centre-back, herself a stand-in for the injured Millie Bright. Meanwhile, the scorer of the winning penalty at Wembley, Chloe Kelly, was preferred to Lauren James.

For Australia there were two changes to the side that suffered a 1-0 defeat to Scotland, with Tameka Yallop on in place of Larissa Crummer and Chelsea forward Kerr favoured over Cortnee Vine.

Conditions at Brentford weren't as kind to either side that Wembley and AFC Wimbledon's home had been, with rain lashing down the slick pitch throughout.

It took four minutes for the hosts to threaten, with left-back Jess Carter playing a one-two with Lauren Hemp, the winger sent a low cross into the box but Alessia Russo's outstretched foot could only graze the ball into the path of goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.

Despite the positive early signs and a majority of the possession in the first half, the Lionesses' struggled to find space in between the tight lines of Australia's 4-4-2. There were also warning sides from the visiting side, with a loose ball from Keira Walsh picked up by Manchester City forward Hayley Raso whose hesitant shot was blocked by Williamson.

Loose balls were the order of the day as the wet turf played havoc, passes under-hit and over-hit all over. Hemp, who began the game with a Zorro-style mask to protect the nose that poured blood after a hefty challenge in the Brazil game, would be the next to take advantage of a stray ball, skating into the box from the right before pulling back for Russo but a defender got there ahead of her.

Chance after chance fell to Manchester United forward Russo, but she struggled to impose herself. A cross from Georgia Stanway after she had beaten Grant on the right was pushed away before Russo could get there, while her efforts to connect with a great ball in from Kelly, saw the ball fly wide off her shin.

The opener came from a familiar source to followers of the WSL, and it was decidedly against the run of play. A long ball over the top towards Kerr saw her racing with Williamson to connect. It was the England captain that made contact first, she nodded the ball towards Earps but there wasn't enough power behind it and Kerr beat the goalkeeper to the ball before lifting over her and in.

Replays showed that Kerr had looked offside as the ball was played from deep, exposing the decision to not take advantage of VAR or goal-line technology in a Premier League ground.

At the break England were still behind, for the first time in Wiegman's tenure they had reached halftime with the score against them. If they had wanted to add another test, following a first penalty shootout win since 2011, then coming from behind against another top-10 nation was it.

The story was similar in the second half. If there was a player that looked capable of finding space where there was none, though, it was James, who had come on for Hemp, and tricked and drove her way between the yellow lines with increasing frequency as legs tired.

Wiegman's charges probed but the Australians seemed happy to weather the storm, literally and metaphorically. Their chances would come on the break and, in the 67th minute Kerr swung the ball in from the right towards Grant, whose diving header took a deflection on its way past Earps.

England pushed to reduce the deficit but remained frustrated. This is perhaps the test England wanted most and wanted least, how they recover from defeat will be a test of character and a test of the tacticians in and around the team.