England's hopes of finishing top of Commonwealth Games Group B have been dealt a huge blow after they were outclassed by Australia at the National Hockey Centre.

The Aussies had scored 22 goals without reply in their previous three games in Glasgow and they continued to prove that they are gold-medal contenders on Monday.

England had also kept clean sheets in their two matches at the Games thus far and so something had to give, and it proved to be England's defence as Jodie Kenny gave the World Championship runners-up the lead.

She converted from a first-half penalty corner, and the Hockeyroos soon doubled their advantage as Emily Smith slapped the ball home to punish a mistake by England skipper Kate Richardson-Walsh.

After the interval, Australia made use of another penalty corner as Kenny got her second of the match to give her side a cushion which was never threatened, and could even have been increased had it not been for a disallowed goal with nine minutes remaining.