Nikita Parris blasted home a penalty awarded after a VAR review to set England on their way to a 2-1 win over old rivals Scotland in their opening match at the women's World Cup in Nice on Sunday. Parris scored from the spot in the 14th minute and Ellen White added another goal for Phil Neville's side five minutes before half-time on the Cote d'Azur. A shaken Scotland fought back in the second half, and Claire Emslie reduced the arrears with 11 minutes to go, but they could not find an equaliser.

The Lionesses will still feel they were worthy winners. Among the favourites to win this World Cup, they are now well set up to progress from Group D before facing Argentina in Le Havre on Friday and then returning here to Nice to tackle former winners Japan on June 19. Neville -- who resembled men's manager Gareth Southgate, sporting a waistcoat on the touchline -- had warned that this would be his team's toughest fixture in the group stage. However, at the Nice stadium where England's men lost to Iceland at Euro 2016 and which registered a crowd of just 13,188 for the occasion, Neville's team ultimately got the job done in the first half against a Scottish side playing their first ever match at the World Cup.