International football:- Euro 2012 Group G Qualifier Wembley England 1 Wales 0

Published: 06 September 2011
by PAUL COWLING

ENGLAND 1 WALES 0 
Attendance: 77,128

ENGLAND secured their first Wembley victory in more than a year with this narrow win over Wales.

A goal from Ashley Young on 35 minutes, means they are now one point away from qualification for the finals of Euro 2012.

They should comfortably do that next month away to Montenegro, but until then, questions will be asked, as to why they make it so difficult for themselves on home turf. 

It seems that England have a game plan away, and express themselves with pace on the counter attack, which a lot of times have no answer to, but at Wembley, they seem to be short of ideas. 

But against Wales, it was hoped the early season form of Young - not to mention, Wayne Rooney and Stewart Downing - would help to put the Welsh dragon to the sword.

The Three Lions took a while to get going, but eventually got into their stride: A glut of goals looked the likely outcome.

Ashley Cole and Chris Smalling were able to dart forward at will, and join the front three of  Rooney,  Downing and Young, but despite their dominance, England weren't creating many clear cut chances.

Rooney began to cut a frustrated figure, with little room to inflict any damage, but still Wales had other threats to contend with.

With the pressure gradually being cranked up, England grabbed what was to prove the decisive goal.

The lively Downing bamboozled Joe Ledley; took the ball to the byeline and crossed for the waiting Young.

The Man Utd winger shot first time on the turn past Wayne Hennessey in the Welsh goal.

This appeared to be the kick start England needed, as they took firm control of the game.

But, despite their dominance, they had few further chances to put the game out of Wales' reach. And that was the danger.

Half time came at the wrong time for England. They had looked like they were clicking into gear, but a resurgent Wales came out in the second half, and gradually took the game to England.

Wales had been penned in their own half, but sensing England were being weighed down by expectation, they began to put together passes of their own.

Tottenham's Gareth Bale went on one storming run, but was well tackled by Gareth Barry.

But it was the other Welsh starlet, Aaron Ramsey, who put in the more impressive shift, which earned the Arsenal midfielder the man of the match accolade for his composed performance.

But, Ramsey will have been frustrated by  his side's lack of a cutting edge in the final third, which was proved on 75 minutes when substitute Robert Earnshaw missed an open goal.

A Ramsey free kick was headed back across goal by Darcy Blake. With Joe Hart stranded, and with time to spare, Earnshaw somehow blasted over the bar from five yards.

One of the inflatable sheep bouncing around in the Welsh fans end, could have put the ball in the back of the net, it was that easy a chance.

The look of despair told the story on the visitors' bench. Coach Gary Speed had his head in his hands and knew his side should have scored.

England, with their slender 1-0 lead, had got away with it.

As the game went into its closing minutes, still Wales pressed forward - in more hope than anything. How they missed the industry and goal knack of Craig Bellamy, who was suspended after Wales' Friday night win over Montenegro.

For the way they fought back, the Welsh deserved a point from this game, but they did come away with their pride intact.

Outgoing coach Fabio Capello admitted his charges rode their luck, but was happy with the result and the all-important win.

"We are playing better away, but our opponents play with more courage and aggression at Wembley."

That will be put to the test in no uncertain terms when England face two of the world's best in their next two Wembley friendlies.

Spain (in November), and then The Netherlands (February) visit London, and Capello knows England will have to be at their very best to get anywhere near a favourable result against the two countries that played out last year's World Cup Final.

A point in Podgorica will do for England, as they head towards the Euro 2012 finals, but getting into the latter stages of a tournament they have never won, seems very unlikely.

Right now England are bizarrely ranked the fourth best team in the world, but are they truthfully even the fourth best team in Europe?

ENGLAND: Hart; Smalling, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Lampard (Parker 73), Barry, Milner, Downing (Johnson 81); Young, Rooney (Carroll 89)