England were given a helping hand by Denmark keeper Tine Cederkvist who gifted Hope Powell's side a 73rd-minute opener with a fumbled own goal.

And former Philadelphia Charge striker Kelly Smith made sure of a 2-0 victory when she stroked home a penalty in her first competitive match for three months following the collapse of the women's league in the USA.

This match only went ahead after Portsmouth, who had tried to cancel it in the interests of the pitch ahead of their FA Cup replay with Liverpool this weekend, were forced into a climbdown by the Football Association.

A crowd of 8,101 nevertheless turned up in bitterly cold conditions to watch England's first fixture since a 5-0 drubbing of Scotland last November.

Louise Hansen was quick to warm the hands of England goalkeeper Pauline Cope with a testing shot from distance inside a minute, before Casey Stoney failed to make the most of Rachel Unitt's left-wing cross at the other end.

Cope denied Hansen again from closer range on the half-hour mark after a mistake by England captain Faye White, and the lively Fara Williams was then wide of the target from 25 yards after a neat lay-off from Smith.

The 25-year-old's lack of football was a concern prior to kick-off, but Smith shrugged off any doubts about her fitness with a dynamic performance against a side ranked four places higher than England in the world.

Jody Handley brought the crowd to life in the 56th minute by ending a dynamic surge through the middle with a vicious 25-yard, dipping effort which rebounded off the crossbar, but Cederkvist parried substitute Kristy Moore's follow-up.

Corinne Yorston was then introduced from the bench and her long ball out of defence provided Norway-based Moore with another chance which she blazed wastefully wide.

But England were ahead in fortuitous circumstances in the 73rd minute when Moore's right-wing cross rebounded off Gitte Andersen and the unfortunate Cederkvist allowed the ball to squirm through her fingers at the near post.

The Danes almost struck back immediately from the restart, when Cope had to be alert to block from Lene Jensen, but Smith sent Cederkvist the wrong way in the 82nd minute after being fouled by Anne Eggers.