Pressure mounts on England manager Phil Neville after stuttering victory over Czech Republic

Czech Republic 2 England 3

"I didn't think the result was in any doubt," Phil Neville said afterwards, Leah Williamson's 86th-minute winner against Czech Republic supposedly a sure-thing in the mind of the England coach. But the reality is that it was a now-familiar display from the Lionesses, where they played into interceptions and conceded easily, in a 3-2 win against a team that in no way should have matched them, but very nearly did.

It ends a year in which England have fallen from World Cup semi-finalists to struggling against relative minnows, with this second win in their last eight games in no way solving their mounting problems.

From the heights of 77,768 at Wembley at the weekend, England have spent three days being thrust back down to earth. First by that heart-breaking stoppage-time loss to Germany in front of a record-breaking crowd. Then by Neville, who conceded "we're not one of the best teams in the world" on the eve of their away tie to the Czechs last night. Afterwards by arriving to bleak heavy snowfall at the Stadion Strelecky Ostrov, with a crowd of just a few hundred fans there to watch them.

“We need a jolt," Neville had said ahead of the side's final match of the year, and the Czech team gave them two in the form of a brace of goals from Tereza Szewieczkova. Yet still the Lionesses could not muster enough answers to deliver a dominant performance despite the eventual victory, which both they and their manager so desperately needed.

"We needed to win," he said, acknowledging England's abysmal form that added weight to this friendly. "But we've got massive improvements to make, we're giving teams that smell that they can get at us and win. Second half we probably controlled, and it was only a matter of time before we scored."

The first half was a different story altogether, with Szewieczkova delivering the opening reality check 15 minutes into the friendly. She snuck past stand-in captain Lucy Bronze in the box, thumping the ball into the back of Carly Telford’s net to put England a goal down and staring down the barrel of their sixth loss in eight games.

At first, it seemed the goal had spurred the Lionesses into action. Trailing the 28th-ranked team in the world was the kick they needed to finally emerge from their post-World Cup mediocrity. After some animated screaming on the touchline, courtesy of an unnerved Neville, order was somewhat restored by the 20th minute. Two goals, first a volley from Beth England and then a curling beauty from Beth Mead, had them ahead and in a position to control the fixture as had been the expectation.

But, as we are learning with this new-look, stuttering England side, trust the Fifa rankings at your own peril. The Czechs were still riding on the high of their opener, and remained undeterred by their visitors’ comeback. Szewieczkova pounced on England’s sleeping back four, finding herself with space 30 yards out. She caught Telford off her line and scored a wonderful equaliser.

Another lapse in concentration, another goal and 30 minutes of football England will likely want to forget. Despite dominating possession England were giving the ball away easily. The Czech team, most of whom play semi-professionally in their home country, were picking pockets in midfield, swirling around Jill Scott and Keira Walsh.

Though worrisome interceptions persisted, in the second half England improved. With consistent attacking phases came solid chances, and Mead was denied her second goal after Scott fouled in the build up. Mead then had strong penalty claim turned down after being shoved to the ground. That they were desperately pleading for a get out of jail free card though, felt like  a low point for this squad.

Then substitute Jordan Nobbs’s corner into the box in the 86th minute thankfully fell to her Arsenal team-mate Leah Williamson. Her strike deflected off a Czech defender and somehow snuck past the goalkeeper to bag her first England goal and save the team's skin – and maybe their manager’s.

Afterwards though Neville was relaxed, insisting "I never felt pressure on me personally" despite detractors arguing he risked the sack if England could not churn out a win. Whether a lifeline or not, Williamson was the one who delivered in the end, and she echoed the manager's confidence that luck was on their side: "I think there is a slight bit of relief but we were on top for the whole game, we always knew it was coming.

"We just need to make sure that is more consistent next year and take pressure off even more."

Match details

Czech Republic (4-1-4-1): Votikova; Jarchovska, Sedlackova, Bertholdova, Sonntagova; Cahynova; Vonkova, Svitkova, Martinkova, Szewieczkova (Khyrova, 71); Staskova (K Dubcova, 85).
Subs not used: Chlastakova, Ringelova, M Dubcova, Necidova, Nepokojova, Ruzickova, Lukasova.
England (4-2-3-1): Telford; Bronze, Bright, Williamson, Stokes; Walsh, Scott; Parris (Hemp, 64), Staniforth (Nobbs, 76), Mead; England (Daly, 77).
Subs not used: Earps, McManus, Bonner, Stanway, Roebuck.
Booked: Nobbs.
Referee: Ewa Augustyn (Poland).