Match Summary

Poland Team

England Team

After the debacle of the previous evening's heavy rain and postponement of the match, England had to regroup and prepare themselves for this vital game in Poland.  In the end they came away with a deserved point, and it could have been even better for them.

The pitch was obviously very heavy but perfectly playable this time and the first action saw James Milner cross to the far post, where Jermaine Defoe's shot was blocked.  Early on England held possession well, mostly along the back four line, but the passes forward were not of the best quality and there were few chances created.  On eight minutes the first clear chance of the game fell to Kamil Grosicki of Poland.  Jakub Rawrzyniak sent in a dangerous cross from the left and the unmarked Grosicki had a great chance.  Luckily for England though he scuffed his shot and the ball was cleared.  Apart from some good chasing back from Wayne Rooney and a booking for Eugeniusz Polanski after a foul on Defoe, there was very little incident of note over the next ten minute spell.  Joe Hart had to move swiftly to dive at the feet of one home attacker and then Milner put in a good cross from the right again.  It was noticeable how many times Poland were in behind Ashley Cole, as the Chelsea man struggled in his 99th international.  But in the main England defended comfortably and Hart was rarely troubled.

Rooney tried an unsuccessful chip and then combined with Steven Gerrard but the ball wouldn't run for England.  The match was a poor one and both sides looked sluggish at times, and frequently gave the ball away.  In the 26th minute Milner again fired in a good cross to the near post, well defended by Poland.  And then two minutes later Robert Lewandowski shot wide after again getting in behind Cole.  The next attack of the game brought England a goal.

Gerrard won a corner and the skipper, also playing his 99th game for England, took the kick and there was Rooney to glance a header into the far corner.  It was a goal England just about deserved on the balance of play but replays suggested that it had gone in off Rooney's shoulder and a Polish arm.  But at that moment no-one from England cared!

Poland hit back strongly for the next few minutes and Wawryzniak shot over from a good position.  But England weathered the mini storm and after 36 minutes they had a free-kick which was cleared as far as Tom Cleverley on the edge of the box, but his follow-up shot squirmed wide.  If England's attacking threat was weak then to be honest Poland's was not much better and all their star man Lewandowski wanted to do was foul his markers.  Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka both looked solid enough in the centre of defence, and you certainly couldn't fault their effort.  Meanwhile, Cole's miserable night was compounded when he was booked and then with just four minutes left of the half a long ball sent Grosicki clear only for the forward to shoot wide when he really should have done better.  Just before the break Glen Johnson's pace rescued England after a slip by Lescott and England preserved their half-time lead without further alarm.

The second half began as the first had ended with Johnson saving England with a crucial interception, this time after a miskick by Jagielka.  On 50 minutes Ludovic Obraniak fired in a good shot which Hart had to tip over the bar.  Ten minutes later Lukasz Piszczek shot wide from a good opening.  As you can see goal chances were well spaced out, although a minute after that miss Johnson broke into the box before being bundled over, no penalty said the ref.  Two good attacks on 65 minutes almost sealed the result for England.  Gerrard's free-kick to the far post set up Defoe but the Spurs striker messed his shot up and the chance was lost, and then straight after a low cross from the right was only just cut out.  They were golden chances, especially Defoe's, and England were to rue those misses.

Two minutes later Danny Welbeck came on for Defoe, who to be fair, had had to plough a lone farrow for much of the game, feeding off scraps.  Welbeck's first contribution almost brought that elusive second goal.  Milner's pass found the striker and eventually he was able to tee up Rooney, but the scorer of 32 [ed: 31] England goals could not add to his tally as he shot over meekly.  That was the miss that broke the camel's back because in the next minute Poland found an equaliser.

A corner from the right by Obraniak was met by a powerful header from Kamil Glik and the ball flashed into England's net.  Hart had come off his line and failed to reach the ball as he tried to cut out the corner, and Lescott was slow to react as Glik came storming in.  Did Poland deserve their goal, probably, but up to that point England were comfortable in defence and Hart had not really had a serious save to make, so in many ways it was very disappointing. 

Surprisingly Roy Hodgson then took off Rooney and sent on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, which was strange because Rooney still looked like England's best bet for a goal.

Apart from another Glik header from a corner England easily saw out the remaining 20 minutes, which was creditable as the atmosphere after Poland's equaliser stepped up a notch and became quite intimidating.  It was all good experience for the England players, especially the younger ones in the team, and although there was an air of disappointment after the match, a point in Poland is not to be sniffed at.  The Poles will have plenty to say in the future of this group that is for sure.
  

Source NotesSource Notes