When England play away from home they invariably have to face inspired opposition. Teams seem to raise their game several levels when the former masters of the game visit their shores. This match was no exception. The added spice of a World Cup final place at stake gave Denmark all the encouragement they needed and they stretched England to the limits. With two Nielsens, three Hansens and three Jensens in their side it was also a commentator's nightmare!

It is easy to forget, when reporting on England's internationals, that other countries have an extra determination to beat us, therefore we sometimes underestimate and over-criticise some of their performances. This was just such a game. There was an awful lot wrong with England's display with several players well below par. Having said that, they went a goal down yet still ended worthy winners, something of which they can be justly proud.

For the first quarter of an hour England looked in command. Johnny Haynes and Tom Finney were producing some lovely play and all looked set for a comfortable win. But in the 26th minute, a defence-splitting pass by A.Jensen, Denmark's captain, set up a fine chance for J.Jensen, who fired a fierce shot into the roof of Alan Hodgkinson's net.

The crowd went wild but hardly had time to celebrate before England equalised. Haynes, Finney and Duncan Edwards weaved a delightful pattern down the left before Haynes ended the move with a good shot low under Drengsgaard's desperate dive.

O.Hansen twice had to save his side by heading away goalbound efforts and he was outstanding at the heart of the Danish defence. His efforts were largely responsible for his team still being on level terms at the break.

England could do nothing special early in the second half, although a Tommy Taylor blockbuster crashed against Denmark's crossbar in one attack. In fact, midway through the half it was the home side who were well on top. They missed a wonderful chance when J.Olsen's long pass caught England out only for J.Jensen, despite being clean through, to miss a golden opening by chipping just over as Hodgkinson challenged.

With 20 minutes to go there was a vital turning point. O.Hansen, Denmark's star player was badly injured in a collision with Taylor, and whilst he was off the field receiving treatment England suddenly and clinically took full advantage of the situation. Jeff Hall passed to John Atyeo and when the next pass came inside, there was Taylor, now unmarked, to shoot home.

In the 75th minute England made it 3-1 when Haynes centred from the right to find Atyeo at the far post to head in off the crossbar.

Finally, Finney, taking yet another super pass from Haynes, had the chance to centre from the left. He found Taylor's head as the centre forward continued his rich scoring vein.
     

This World Cup qualifier was to prove the international swansong of 'Mr Football' Stanley Matthews, who was retired from the world stage at the age of forty-two and twenty-two years after the last of his fifty-four caps. Denmark took the lead in the twenty-fifth minute, with Johnny Haynes equalising just before half-time. It was not until the final fifteen minutes that England got on top against a brave Danish team briefly reduced by injury to ten men. Tommy Taylor scored twice to take his haul in four matches to ten goals. Taylor's double strike came either side of a seventy-fifth minute goal by John Atyeo, who rose at the far post to head in a Johnny Haynes centre. Even at forty-two, there were many who considered Stanley's England career had been finished too early. Just his name on the team sheet would have given England a psychological advantage when they played in the 1958 World Cup finals.
  

In the second leg of this World Cup preliminary match Denmark proved herself as difficult to defeat at Copenhagen as she had been at Wolverhampton five months previously. Once again it was only in the last 20 minutes that England really gained the ascendancy. J. Jensen snatched a surprise goal for Denmark after 26 minutes, but Haynes equalised to make the score 1-1 at half-time. In the final quarter of an hour England scored three times through Taylor (2) and Atyeo. Two of these goals were scored while the Danish centre-half was temporarily off the field through injury, so the Danes had every right to consider themselves unlucky to be beaten by so large a margin.