It was a flying start for the England Blind squad at the World Championships in Spain, winning their first Group D game against a physically strong Mali team.
Having never played an African qualifier in any world tournament, England equipped themselves well and after a tight opening ten minutes, captain Dan English scored in the 13th minute after a neat dribble and finish.
England really got into their stride and after a period of intense, Mali conceded a 6m penalty when the goalkeeper stepped outside his designated area.
Brandon Coleman coolly finished to make it 2-0 at the half-time break.
Jon Pugh’s side started the second half very brightly and dominated before Roy Turnham made it three after receiving the ball with his back to goal, turning two defenders and finishing with aplomb into the left corner.
England saved their best for last though, as their fourth was the pick of the game. Soaking up pressure on the edge of the box, Darren Harris won the ball and counter attacked at pace before making a cross-field pass to Coleman. He went past two defenders to finish from the angle with a spectacular shot into the top left hand corner.
“It was a decent start to the tournament,” said Pugh.
“Although we were not at our best, we still created a lot of chances, defended well and scored some great goals.
“We are ready for the challenges ahead but our first priority is to get out of the group and secure a quarter-final place.”
England’s next game is against the pre-tournament favourites Brazil, who have already qualified for the next round, on Monday at 6pm BST. All games can be watched via live stream here.
