ENGLAND U21s had a desperately disappointing start to their Junior World Cup campaign in Santiago, Chile, on Wednesday.

Their chances of substantial progress dipped with a shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of an inexperienced United States team in the opening game of the tournament.

The team, with Jersey’s Beckie Herbert only featuring for 11 minutes, took an early lead through Harriet Cunningham, but were 3-1 down by 53 minutes.

A Hayley Brown goal lifted them back into contention, but America’s Katie O’Donnel scored her second of the game from a penalty corner to shock the hockey world.

With one of the favourites for the World Cup, Holland, also in England’s group – they thrashed Zimbabwe 13-nil yesterday – things are now looking grim for England.

Although the first three of the four-team group go through to the next stage, and England will still be expected to qualify, the results between the first stage qualifiers are carried through to the next, six-team pool stage.

So, if the United States qualify – and they, like England must now fancy their chances against Zimbabwe – yesterday’s result would go forward to a second group league table.