England 2 - 1 Poland
So who watched the match last night then? lets hear your reactions to last nights game! Who do you think got man of the match, how well do you think england played etc...
WAYNE ROONEY came to Sven Goran Eriksson's rescue with yet another stunning show.
With England's fans crying out for entertainment after the unconvincing victory over Austria on Saturday, the Manchester United star delivered in spades.
His enthusiasm and energy ran through the entire side and the only question was why England failed to score more as they secured their place as World Cup Group Six winners.
Eriksson knew he was under pressure to deliver a display as well as a result and in Rooney he now has a man he can rely on.
The Old Trafford ace was inspirational and even showed his gentlemanly side in front of referee Kim Milton Nielsen, who sent him off for clapping sarcastically in the Champions League last month.
The rest of the team took their lead from Rooney and will only be disappointed not to have won by a clearer margin.
It was not for lack of efforts on goal with Rooney, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard all going close in the first half.
But there was more to the performance which will have pleased Eriksson.
After a shaky start, Ledley King grew into the midfield anchor role and looked a fantastic understudy to Steven Gerrard.
And Lampard obviously enjoyed the change as he was given full responsibility to knit the midfield together.
Cole was also back to his best, providing the balance on the left with Shaun Wright-Phillips happy to surge down the right flank at every given chance.
When the breakthrough did come, it was a familiar face taking the applause.
Stand-in skipper Michael Owen was one of the few England players to have a quiet first period, but he was there when it mattered in the 43rd minute.
From Lampard's corner, Cole drove into a forest of legs and there was Owen to deflect the shot into the back of the net.
Amazingly, Poland levelled in injury time at the end of the half.
John Terry had had nothing to do for 45 minutes but he was helpless to stop Kamil Kosowski's cross from the right.
Luke Young was drawn towards the ball leaving Tomasz Frankowski to ram in his volley.
But nobody could complain with Eriksson's tactics until then.
Rooney, Cole and Wright-Phillips scared the life out of the Poles and King was also in the thick of the action.
Wright-Phillips had the first effort on goal when he cut in from the right but his left-footed shot was weak and straight at Artur Boruc.
King and Lampard then went close before Rooney produced a moment of genius which showed why he is going to be so important to England's hopes in Germany next year.
With his back to goal the former Everton striker turned on a sixpence, swayed past two defenders and smashed a shot which whistled inches over the bar from 25 yards out.
Cole also had another go before Owen finally broke the deadlock.
Unfortunately, Poland's one chance brought the equaliser but Eriksson must surely have been delighted with his new-look team.
The second half was far more subdued with both sides keeping it cagey.
But Cole tried to keep the momentum going and found Owen unmarked at the far post only for the Newcastle hitman to head tamely at Boruc.
Owen forced another save from the Polish keeper when he found himself clean through but could not get any pace on his curler.
Something had to give and Owen eventually turned provider with 10 minutes to go.
A swift break saw Cole feed the Toon ace and his floated cross was brilliantly volleyed into the roof of the net by Lampard.
Poland were poor and there was nothing serious riding on this game.
But at last England looked like a side capable of making Eriksson's claims for glory come true.
Source: The Sun
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Losing Gracefully Since September 2010
Originally Posted by B.I.G
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