Sturridge grabs dramatic late winner for England

Substitute Daniel Sturridge scored a dramatic winner in injury time to steer England to a 2-1 win over Wales at Euro 2016 on Thursday.

Published : Jun 16, 2016 18:55 IST , Lens

Daniel Sturridge's goal left England at the top of Group B.
Daniel Sturridge's goal left England at the top of Group B.
lightbox-info

Daniel Sturridge's goal left England at the top of Group B.

Daniel Sturridge scored in stoppage-time as England came from behind to clinch a dramatic 2-1 victory over Wales to move top of Group B in EURO 2016.

>Match centre

Roy Hodgson's two second-half substitutes won the game as Jamie Vardy scored his first competitive England goal to cancel out Gareth Bale's first-half opener before Sturridge's strike at the death.

Bale had powered a long-range free-kick past Joe Hart to give Wales the lead in Lens, but Hodgson sent on Vardy and Sturridge at the break and saw that move rewarded.

ALSO READ: >England v Wales: Tactical Report

The Leicester City striker grasped his first opportunity to score, before Sturridge pounced to seal a victory that England will feel it deserved after dominating possession and creating more chances as the match progressed.

England move top of the group on four points and will definitely reach the last 16 if it get at least a draw in its final match against Slovakia, which is level with Wales on three points.

Wales boss Chris Coleman made three changes, with fit-again goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey starting, but it was unchanged England which squandered a golden early chance as Raheem Sterling connected with Adam Lallana's cross but could only blaze over the crossbar.

>READ: Bale 'proud' despite last-gasp loss

Wales struggled to get out of its own half as England settled into a rhythm, and Gary Cahill should have tested Hennessey when Wayne Rooney's free-kick found him unchallenged in the box.

England had claims for a penalty turned down when Ben Davies appeared to handle in the area and Chris Smalling was inches away from scoring when he rose well to head a Rooney corner just wide. But with only three minutes left in the first half, Rooney felled Hal Robson-Kanu 30 yards from goal and Bale struck the ensuing free-kick with such venom that Joe Hart could not keep it out, despite getting a hand on the ball.

Hodgson sent on Vardy and Sturridge for Kane and Sterling at the break, with their presence galvanising England, which came close when Rooney's shot was turned round the post by Hennessey.

>READ: Hodgson's gamble pays off as Vardy and Sturridge get Three Lions roaring

Its pressure paid off when Sturridge crossed into a crowded box and Ashley Williams' backward header fell to Vardy, who slammed into the net from a few yards in the 56th minute.

Much of England's attacking threat came down the right with Kyle Walker causing Wales constant problems with his pace and Hodgson sent on Marcus Rashford as his side pressed for a winning goal.

>READ: No half-time shake-up from Hodgson - Vardy

Wales put its bodies on the line and Jonathan Williams and James Chester did well to block a smart Rooney shot before the winner arrived a minute into stoppage-time. Hodgson's men broke into the Wales penalty area and Dele Alli's flick-on was driven inside the near post by Sturridge, prompting wild celebrations on the England bench and in the stands.

Key Opta Stats:

- England has won a game at a major tournament for the first time having been behind at half-time.
- Daniel Sturridge is the 10th England player to score at both the World Cup and the EUROs.
- The last three players to score against England from a direct free-kick at a major tournament are Ronaldinho (2002), Zinedine Zidane (2004) and Gareth Bale (2016).
- Wales scored with its first shot on target.
- Jamie Vardy has scored four times in his last five games for England. He netted with his third touch in the match.
- Marcus Rashford is the youngest player to play at the EUROs for England (18y 228d), four days younger than Rooney in 2004 (v France). He is the fifth youngest overall.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment