Mark Sampson’s second stringers revealed some worrying imperfections but still did what was required to set the stage for a potentially spiky quarter-final against France in Deventer on Sunday night.

England last beat Les Bleues back in 1974 and, having won all three group D games, they will rarely have been more optimistic of ending that run. Not that the Lionesses can afford to defend as badly or forfeit possession as cheaply as they did at times against a pacy Portugal with a fine winger in Diana Silva.

Although goals from Toni Duggan and Nikita Parris eventually saw Francisco Netto’s side off, England were aided by some poor goalkeeping from Patricia Morais as the spirited Portuguese bowed out of the tournament.

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“Played three, scored 10: I can’t really ask for any more than that. I’m very proud of the players,” said Sampson. Even so, Olivier Echouafni, the France manager, has warned him that his Lionesses will come badly unstuck on Sunday. “He’s wet around the ears when it comes to tournament football,” said England’s coach. “He’s played three games and won once. I’ve played 11 and won nine. He’ll learn who to take on and who not to take on. Congratulations to France for finishing second in their group.”

The Welshman revels in rotation and duly made 10 changes from the side which started the victories against Scotland and Spain with Millie Bright the sole survivor as key players, most notably Jodie Taylor, were rested.

The Lionesses remained at their Utrecht base on Wednesday night which, considering central Tilburg is currently staging the biggest annual funfair in the Benelux countries, with brightly lit big wheels turning until 1am and music beyond 4am, was probably a very good thing.

Funfair apart, Tilburg’s claim to fame is as the town where Vincent van Gogh had his first drawing lessons. Perhaps capturing the mood, Sampson’s players have been switching off with crayons and colouring books after training and maybe they were a little too relaxed as they initially struggled to fathom Portugal’s midfield diamond.

Neto’s side were Euro 2017’s lowest ranked team but, having beaten Scotland, kicked off with a chance of leapfrogging Spain to reach the quarter-finals. Such hopes sustained an early dent when Morais’s error handed Toni Duggan a goal but were temporarily revived thanks to Carolina Mendes’s equaliser.

First Portugal’s goalkeeper had miscued what should have been a routine clearance, scuffing the ball straight to Barcelona’s new striker. With Morais off her line, Duggan, collecting her 50th cap, delighted in chipping the ball over the stranded keeper from 20 yards.

Parity was swiftly restored. Silva sashayed down the right and succeeded where Spain had failed in managing to get behind Sampson’s defence. After dodging Alex Greenwood, she cut back and, as Laura Bassett attempted to block, the ball fell to Mendes who, with Siobhan Chamberlain wrong-footed, tapped into an unguarded net.

Silva caused the Lionesses – and Greenwood in particular – further grief with her crosses. One such effort, whipped in towards Mendes’s head, provoked especial consternation among opponents furious at failing to become the first senior England football team not to concede a single goal during the group stages of a major tournament.

If concentration among the Lionesses backline was wavering, Portugal had also highlighted the lack of central defensive pace at Sampson’s disposal. Not that those 10 changes had exactly helped; after the cohesion of the opening two games this was an ensemble bereft of any sort of connection, let alone real chemistry.

While Sampson appeared agitated by his side’s inability to retain possession, his players’ frustration was reflected by two deserved bookings for late, lunging, tackles from Fara Williams and Izzy Christiansen.

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England’s coach had made a big thing of his desire to maintain “momentum” in this game but the reverse seemed to be happening. At least that is how it felt until the previously anonymous Parris restored a newly focused England’s lead - along with a little of the Welshman’s good humour - at the start of the second half.

When Christiansen punted a slightly optimistic long ball forward, nothing very much looked on. However, Parris’s blend of pace, power and sheer bloody-minded determination enabled her to accelerate forward, evading a couple of challenges before shooting low beneath Morais to complete an excellent solo goal.

A much improved Williams ensured that this became the first England XI since Ron Greenwood’s World Cup class of ’82 to win all their group games in a showcase event. As the veteran midfielder raised the collective second-half tone by largely dictating the midfield, so Portugal’s chances of progression ebbed.

When Dolores Silva sent a free-kick swerving fractionally wide it felt emblematic of what might have been. In contrast Sampson’s side still have reason to believe in delicious possibility.