Team GB’s inaugural women’s football team booked a place in the Olympic tournament quarter-finals with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Cameroon at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Hope Powell’s team, who opened their tournament with a 1-0 victory over New Zealand on Wednesday, outplayed the Indomitable Lionesses and were leading 2-0 by half-time as they looked to join Group E rivals Brazil in the last eight.
Captain Casey Stoney fired Team GB ahead after Cameroon failed to deal with a teasing cross from the left flank and the Lincoln defender pounced to stab home from inside the six-yard box.
Their advantage was doubled five minutes later when Everton midfielder Jill Scott finished off a neat passage of one-touch play by slotting home from inside the area after a cheeky back heel from Kim Little.
Team GB spurned further opportunities to increase their lead as Arsenal full-back Steph Houghton, the match-winner against New Zealand, hit the post amid an onslaught on the Cameroon goal before half-time.
Team GB were rarely threatened by the Lionesses’ toothless attack and comfortably maintained their unblemished defensive record.
Victory was sealed with 10 minutes left as woman of the moment Houghton became the tournament’s joint top scorer with a curling right-footed strike from 20 yards out.
An injury to influential defender Ifeoma Deike marred an otherwise faultless evening for Team GB who play Brazil in their final group game on Tuesday to decide who will top the group and who they will meet in the quarter-finals.
Scorer Jill Scott said: "We were very pleased to get the win, obviously it's important to get the three points. It's always good to get a goal, but it was a great team performance."
"I don't think you can really put it into words. We're looking forward to going to the Olympic Village and playing Brazil at Wembley. You can't get any bigger than that. We're just enjoying the whole experience."
Head coach Hope Powell said: "We are happy to win the game. They were very physical and quick, but we were disciplined and we executed the three goals well. We could have had more but I'm very satisfied with the result."
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