NO KANE NO GAIN
England saved by Harry’s late blow
HARRY KANE broke Scotland’s hearts just over a year ago at Hampden.
Last night he proved he hasn’t lost his sense of timing with a late goal to inflict the same punishment on Tunisia.
In fact two-goal Kane made himself an English national treasure with a last-gasp injury-time winner which gave England some justice and a win they richly deserved.
No wonder Gareth Southgate leapt up off the bench, celebrated wildly and then made his way on to the pitch at the final whistle to give his Captain Marvel a huge bear hug.
The England fans behind the goal were jumping up and down, blowing their horns and singing while the heartbroken Tunisian players were on their knees at the whistle with some of them in tears – a scene all too familiar to the Tartan Army after Kane’s heartbreaking equaliser in Glasgow 12 months ago.
The Africans had gone so close to getting a result which they did not deserve and would have been down to yet another VAR farce as you wonder why new technology is being used if it cannot pick out the most obvious mistakes.
Not just once but twice Ferjani Sassi dragged Kane to the ground in
the box, the first time looked more like a rugby tackle and yet somehow Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan missed it. So too the four VAR officials watching on the big screen.
Let’s be clear – England should have won the game long before either penalty controversy and Kyle Walker was guilty of his own gaffe which gifted Tunisia an equaliser as they made hard work of what should have been an easy win. But instead they missed chance after chance with Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard the worst culprits as once again the England shirt seems to weigh heavy on players’ shoulders.
All this talk about the good atmosphere and playing without fear but Sterling was subbed after another disappointing night and had to be consoled by Southgate.
England were terrific at times, they played brilliantly early on and yet they are so often their own worst enemy and it leaves you wondering where on earth they would be
without Kane. This was, after all, the player who promised to try to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo who scored a hat-trick against Spain.
He got Portugal’s late leveller, Kane got England’s last-gasp winner with his 15th goal in 25 caps.
That sort of form will make him one of the best and potent strikers at this World Cup and give England a puncher’s chance in the tournament.
They created chances but the worry is they missed so many. Sterling and Lingard fluffed gilt-edged opportunities before England went ahead in 11 minutes.
Ashley Young put over a corner, John Stones powered a header goalwards and Tunisia keeper Mouez Hassen made a terrific save but Kane tucked home the rebound. Tunisia had to change their keeper as Hassen went off injured and in tears to be replaced by Ben Mustapha whose goal lived an equally charmed life.
England’s wastefulness was eventually punished. Walker was reckless and clumsy as his elbow caught Fakhreddine Ben Youssef who threw himself to the ground. Roldan at least spotted that one and Sassi fired home despite Jordan Pickford getting a hand to the ball.
You could see England’s confidence drain, they were robbed of decisions by the VAR and began to run out of steam even after Marcus Rashford replaced Sterling.
But they never gave up. Deep into injury time England laid siege and Kieran Trippier put over a corner, Harry Maguire headed on and Kane popped up to head powerfully home.