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England Women friendly v Ghana in Southampton last night. Emerged from Southampton Central station just before 5 pm into steady rain. With my coat hood up, walked on to the city centre and called at KFC for a Festive Tower.

I looked up bus info to the Chapel Arms, where I was due to meet Rachel, but with the wait it would have taken 22 minutes, and it was walkable in 20. So it was back up with my coat hood as I set off down the well-lit path through the city park and on to the pub.

I walked into the pub and saw a few people in England shirts but no-one I knew. I was on the point of leaving when through a window I spotted Rachel outside vaping. She was the only friend of mine there. I guess the competing calls on everyone’s funds that December brings, and people’s annual leave running low, accounted for the others giving this game a miss. She had a few other Arsenal supporting girls with her and we all had a desultory chat over a quick drink, while keeping tabs on the early kick-offs Spain v Germany and Scotland v China, then tootled up the road to the ground.

Rachel was sitting in a different block so after passing through the turnstile we said goodbye and wished each other a Merry Christmas then headed for our respective seats. I was in a side section behind the goal, four rows up from pitch level. Fantastic view. The pyrotechnics before kick-off were amazing with glorious explosions of red and gold and plumes of white smoke. Ghana had a lively contingent of fans in the near section of the long side to the left of my stand, who wore bright colours, displayed lots of flags and kept singing all game.

Sarina gave starts to seven girls normally benchwarmers. On 6 minutes there was a Christmas fairytale for one of them, Southampton born Lucia Kendall, as the ball landed perfectly for her in the penalty box and she scored in front of her home crowd. Any hopes of another goal feast like Saturday were steadily dashed, as Lioness shots went wayward and a resolute Ghanaian rearguard soaked up the pressure. At the other end Anna Moorhouse played a blinder in the England goal - watch out Hannah! My heart sank on 20 minutes when Chloe Kelly, my favourite current Lioness, clutched her knee, then, after playing a short pass, went down. She limped off and was replaced by Beth Mead.

The second half carried on in the same vein. In injury time sub Alessia Russo headed against the post, drawing groans all round. Ghana got the ball and, their tails up, went surging down to the other end. I thought : we’re going to end up with a bloody draw. No fear - the attack ended with Anna Moorhouse gathering the ball. Then play stopped and we realised there was going to be a VAR call. The upshot was a penalty to England. Taylor Hinds, one of the new girls, was standing there holding the ball for so long that I thought she was going to take it. That would have been nice, but she handed the ball to Alessia Russo who converted. 2-0.

I had to walk halfway round the outside of the ground to get to Britannia Road, where the shuttle buses left for the station. One bus departed while I was in the inching queue but there were two more still in place and I got boarded on the first of those.

On the train to Fareham, standing in one of the doors areas, I got talking to a family who’d also been at the game. My travels following the Lionesses came up. When I said I’d been at the 2015 World Cup in Canada the young lady stood on the other side of me said she’d also been there. She hadn’t seen a Lionesses match but had been to a Canada game in Toronto.

And that’s it for internationals until March.