Wright-Phillips' strike rescues England as Yugoslavs show neat touches
England Under-21 1 Yugoslavia Under-21 1
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Your support makes all the difference.Shaun Wright-Phillips saved England's blushes with a 80th-minute equaliser last night after David Platt's juniors failed to put their summer damp squib behind them. Ejected from the junior European Championships at the hands of Italy and Portugal, they coped little better against an albeit dynamic Yugoslavia here, rarely turning possession to meaningful advantage or looking sharp in the final third.
If the future is bright for England, this was not convincing evidence. Sven Goran Eriksson will certainly be hoping that his senior side produce a better response to their own recent disappointment when they take on Portugal today.
As Platt pointed out ahead of kick-off yesterday, his squad had been depleted primarily due to its own success. A year ago it contained five members – Wes Brown, Wayne Bridge, Joe Cole, Owen Hargreaves and Darius Vassell – who ended their season at the World Cup. A sixth player, David Dunn, could play against Portugal today. "That's ample proof that our Under-21 system works as a stepping stone to senior status," Platt said.
That's fine as far as it goes, but if the senior side are not winning tournaments, how much does it mean? And if the best youngsters are graduating, what is the quality of their replacements? Less than the sum of their parts, despite some hefty price tags, last night's first half suggested.
The visitors' Igor Matic was allowed space for a header after five minutes which required Chris Kirland, Liverpool's £6m bench-warmer to tip round the post. Titus Bramble made a decent interception a few minutes later but was nowhere useful five minutes before the break when Danko Lazovic took possession of an incisive pass, turned calmly and curled sweetly inside the right post from 25 yards.
Jermain Defoe can hardly be criticised for not converting a 26th-minute indirect free-kick from 10 yards – awarded after a back pass to the Yugoslavian keeper – but there was little wit in blasting it at a wall so close you could touch them.
Francis Jeffers, another £8m man, was more culpable shortly before the visitors took the lead, missing from inside the six-yard box after Defoe had headed down a lofted cross from the left. True, the Yugoslavians played a neat, patient passing game and toiled hard to squeeze England's space to nought, but it was not an inspiring opening period for the home supporters.
Matters did not improve after the break, with Lazovic a persistent threat. Just before the hour he combined with Andrija Delibasic to get behind the home defence but the latter shot over.
A raft of changes on both sides followed, with Shola Ameobi replacing Defoe and Wright-Phillips replacing Jermaine Pennant the most significant. Wright-Phillips added a cutting edge. The benefit was at its most obvious when Jermaine Jenas threaded a perfect pass across the edge of the box and the Manchester City man slotted it low and home for 1-1.
ENGLAND (4-4-2): Kirkland (Liverpool); Samuel (Aston Villa), Bramble (Newcastle), Barry (Aston Villa), Konchesky (Charlton); Pennant (Arsenal), Jenas (Newcastle), Carrick (West Ham), Prutton (Nottingham Forest); Defoe (West Ham), Jeffers (Arsenal). Substitutes: Ameobi (Newcastle) for Defoe (61); Wright-Phillips (Manchester City) for Pennant (61); Etherington (Tottenham) for Pruton (74); Parnaby (Middlesbrough) for Samuel (78); Lescott (Wolves) for Konchesky (89).
YUGOSLAVIA (4-4-2): Poleksic (Sutjeska Niksic); Nastic (Zeleznik Belgrade), Vidic (Red Star Belgrade), Jokic (OFK Belgrade), Mijailovic (Zeleznik Belgrade); Novkovic (Varese, It), Lovre (Anderlecht, Bel), Novakovic (Cukaricki Belgrade), Matic (Zemun); Lazovic (Partizan Belgrade), Delibasic (Partizan Belgrade). Substitutes: Dislyenkovic (Red Star Belgrade) for Poleksic (h-t); Bakovic (OFK Belgrade) for Novkovic (h-t); Joksimovic (Radnicki Nis) for Mijailovic (66); Kekezovic (Sartid Smederevo) for Matic (66); Vujosevic (Obilic Belgrade) for Delibasic (78); Jovanovic (Vojvodina Novi Sad) for Lazovic (78).
Referee: K Jakobsson (Iceland).
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