Football

Late John Terry goal gives England win over Ukraine

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England earned a hard-earned 2-1 win over Ukraine at Wembley Stadium.

New Delhi: A late goal from captain John Terry gave England a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Ukraine at Wembley Stadium.

England were the better of the two sides in what was a quiet first half, taking the lead through Peter Crouch just short of the half hour mark.

The match burst into life in the final fifteen minutes after Andriy Shevchenko lashed home an equaliser for Ukraine – Terry saving the day with just five minutes remaining from close-range after Steven Gerrard’s header across the face of goal.

England have now won all five of their Group Six Qualifiers for the World Cup, while the visitors’ defeat was their first of this campaign.

Peter Crouch was handed a start in attack alongside Wayne Rooney, who was winning his 50th cap, with the home side’s striking resources stretched after a recent run of injuries. Aaron Lennon was again preferred to David Beckham on the right of midfield, while Rio Ferdinand returned to the defence in place of Matthew Upson.

For Ukraine, former Chelsea striker Shevchenko was on the substitutes’ bench as he paid the price for a lack of first-team action with AC Milan. Andriy Voronin did get a start in attack for a side captained by Bayern Munich bound Anatoliy Tymoschuk.

England were the first to threaten on seven minutes through an ambitious overhead kick by Rooney that looped over the crossbar after he combined well with Gerrard on the left.

The home side came closer on 15 minutes after Taras Mikhalik fouled Rooney after being bamboozled by a super piece of skill from the Manchester United forward. From the resulting free-kick, Frank Lampard teed up Steven Gerrard at edge of the box and his curling effort fell just wide of far post.

In the 29th minute, England had the lead after Rooney’s flick from a Lennon cross had been deflected out for a corner. Lampard’s delivery towards the far post was superbly headed back across face of goal by Terry to Crouch, who swivelled and smashed a shot past Ukraine keeper Andriy Pyatov from inside six yards.

The fact Ukraine’s best opportunity of the first half came from a 35-yard long-range effort Tymoschuk, which England goalkeeper David James struggled to push away from goal, sums up the lack of penetration they had going forward.

Just before the break, patient England passing led to Gerrard shooting straight at Pyatov from 20 yards.

The Three Lions were on the attack again within three minutes of the second half. Rooney showed great determination to weave past two Ukraine midfielders before shooting narrowly wide from distance.

Shevchenko and Beckham both came on for their respective sides before the hour mark as the two teams attempted to freshen things up.

Beckham, the former England captain, had an early opportunity to make his mark with a free-kick on the edge of the box 62 minutes, but he failed to hit the target. Much like the first, the second 45 minutes were not producing too many clear goal-scoring opportunities.

With the game looking like it was going to ease towards a quiet conclusion, though, Ukraine scored a shock equaliser. A free-kick was whipped into the box from the right touchline and struck Glen Johnson. As the ball rebounded, Shevchenko was the first to react and he lashed a shot past James.

As the visitors thought they were going to leave Wembley with a well-earned point, however, England grabbed a winner five minutes from time. Again, it came from a set piece. Beckham’s deep free-kick from the right was headed on by Gerrard to Terry, who tapped home from close-range.

Shevchenko shot straight at James in stoppage time, while Lampard came close at the other end before the referee blew the final whistle to give England, who were comfortably short of their best, what may prove to be a vital three points in their bid to make South Africa.