Poland have taken a huge step towards a quarter-final berth with a hard-fought win against Zambia in Santo Domingo.
The Europeans weren’t at their fluent best but they struck early in either half to kill the contest; the first a powerful Kinga Wyrwas header from close range from a Zuzanna Witek free-kick in just the seventh minute.
The second was something of a coaching masterstroke as two of Marcin Kasprowicz’s three half-time changes combined to double the lead just 12 seconds after the re-start.
Krystyna Flis racing free down the left and providing a cross that fell kindly to an unmarked Weronika Arasniewicz who tapped home from close range.
Zambia coach Carol Kanyemba said after the game: “A lack of clinical-ness in front of goal has affected us; we tried to create a lot of chances but unfortunately we couldn’t get a goal and that was the difference, we lost on set pieces and we still have a lot to work on.”
