England deny Scotland famous victory

Kane hits stoppage-time equaliser

GLASGOW, June 10, (AFP): Harry Kane marked his first game as captain with a stoppage-time equaliser as England denied Scotland a famous victory in Saturday’s 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw in Glasgow.

England were heading for a first qualifying defeat since October 2009 after unbeaten record in Group F and deny Scotland a first win since 1999 over their oldest rivals.

Gareth Southgate’s England remain top of their qualifying pool, but Slovenia have trimmed their advantage to three points and Slovakia could cut it down to two if they win in Lithuania later in the day.

Kane’s strike, his sixth in 18 England games, was a sucker-punch for Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, whose side remain in fourth place, three points off a possible play-off berth.

But after March’s lastgasp 1-0 win over Slovenia, this was another display to nourish hope of a first major tournament appearance since the 1998 World Cup.

England were left in no

England’s Harry Kane (left), vies for the ball next to Scotland’s Charlie Tierney during the World Cup Group F qualifying soccer match between Scotland and England at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland on June 10. (AP)

doubt as to what kind of afternoon awaited them before kick-off when ‘God Save the Queen’, the English national anthem, was drowned out by a volley of Scottish boos.

The tone was the same on the pitch, with Scotland captain Scott Brown booked inside three minutes for taking out England danger man Dele Alli from behind.

Urged on by the Hampden Park faithful, Scotland started on the front foot, Griffiths sending a shot down Joe Hart’s throat in the early stages.

Scotland’s deep-lying 5-4-1 system starved England’s creative players of space, but gradually cracks began to appear.

After a risky sortie by Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, Kane saw a lob headed off the line by Kiernan Tierney, with Gordon scampering back to divert Marcus Rashford’s followup behind.

Gordon was tested again twice before half-time, tipping Adam Lallana’s drive into the side-netting and unconvincingly fisting a Jake Livermore effort over the bar.

Livermore went even closer early in the second half with a low shot that was deflected against the base of Gordon’s left-hand post.

But Scotland posed a threat on the break, Andrew Robertson spurning a sight of goal by slicing over from Griffiths’s cut-back and Stuart Armstrong curling off-target.

Southgate reacted by sending on Oxlade-Chamberlain for Rashford in the 65th minute and five minutes later, the Arsenal man put England ahead.