Stanway's penalty seals the deal for England in tense World Cup opener against Haiti

European champions England began their FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign on a winning note, claiming a 1-0 victory against a surprisingly resilient Haitian side in a thrilling Group D match in Brisbane.

The deciding moment came in the first half, as England's Georgia Stanway stepped up to a penalty kick after a VAR-verified handball by Haiti's Batcheba Louis.

Although Stanway's initial attempt was saved by Haitian goalkeeper Kerly Theus, a retake was called when it was revealed Theus had left her line prematurely.

The Bayern Munich star confidently scored on the second try, placing her shot in the bottom-left corner.

England dominated possession, but Haiti didn't let up, posing a formidable challenge spearheaded by their star player, Melchie Dumornay. Dumornay delighted the Brisbane spectators with her dexterity, touch, and creativity.

Despite their valiant efforts, Haiti was unable to equalize before half-time. Their best opportunity came in the form of a missed header from Roselord Borgella.

Dumornay also had a close call following the break, her rising shot met by an impressive one-handed save from England's goalkeeper Mary Earps.

England's victory marks their sixth consecutive Women’s World Cup group-stage win, a streak stretching back to a 1-0 defeat against France in the first fixture of 2015.

Speaking after the match, England coach Sarina Weigman acknowledged the challenge they faced. "It was a very hard game. They [Haiti] were very unpredictable, very transitional," Weigman said.

"That’s what they showed and we struggled with that. We did create chances but we lost the ball and then they were gone. That was hard for us. We want to finish our chances. We did it with the penalty which was good because the win is the most important thing."

Stanway, who netted the winning goal for England, gave credit to Haiti for their powerful counterattacks.

"They challenged us. They were very dangerous on the counter attack, that is something we will work on now in training," she explained.

She also reflected on her penalty kick, saying, "The first one was a very good save, so credit for the save but she was off her line. There’s a process I go through and I just stuck to that."

Haiti's Dumornay, despite the loss, expressed pride in her team's performance and a resolve to learn from the experience.

"I'm really tired but we're really proud of what we've achieved - of our good performance," she said.

"Having said that, we lost on small details. We'll keep on working for the next match. We regret not being able to finish our chances. We'll have to be more clinical in the next match."

England Women: Mary Earps; Millie Bright, Lucia Bronze, Jessica Carter, Alex Greenwood; Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh; Lauren Hemp (Lauren James 60), Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo (Rachel Daly 76).
Subs not used: Hannah Hampton, Ellie Roebuck, Niamh Charles, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Katie Zelem, Laura Coombs, Esme Morgan, Jordan Nobbs, Katie Robinson, Bethany England.
Booked: Georgia Stanway (45), Lauren Hemp (51).

Haiti Women: Theus Kerly; Tabita Joseph, Jennyfer Limage (Ruthny Mathurin 31), Kethna Louis, Betina Petit-Frere; Sherly Jeudy, Batcheba Louis, Nerilia Mondesir, Dayana Pierre-Louis; Roselord Borgella (Roseline Eloissant 77), Melchie Dumornay.
Subs not used: Lara Loco, Nahomie Ambroise, Chelsea Supris, Esthericove Joseph, Maudeline Moryl, Milan Pierre-Jerome, Danielle Etienne, Noa Ganthier, Darlina Joseph, Shwendesky Joseph.
Booked: Dayana Pierre-Louis (20).

Referee: Emikar Calderas Barrera.
Attendance: 44,369
extratime.com Player of the Match: Melchie Dumornay