England boss Mark Sampson upbeat following France defeat

England head coach Mark Sampson has defended his side's performance during their 1-0 defeat to France in the Women's World Cup.

A Eugenie Le Sommer strike settled the match, but the Lionesses boss believes that his team were competitive right up to the final whistle.

"That was a strong England performance," BBC Sport quotes the 32-year-old as saying.

"You have to understand the level of competition. I would suggest fans stick with us. We have taken a top team right to the last minute."

He added: "Of course we are disappointed with the result, but from the objective to give ourselves a platform to build on we have achieved."

England are next in action on Saturday when they take on their Mexican counterparts.