POLISH BLOW TAKES SHINE OFF FOR KANE
POLAND 1 ENGLAND 1
DAMIAN SZYMANSKI scored an injury-time equaliser as Poland dramatically ended England’s perfect qualifying record last night.
The substitute’s first goal for his country was probably deserved for the rousing way the hosts responded to Harry Kane’s wonder goal, which looked set to make it six Group I victories out of six for the Three Lions.
Despite being pegged back, Gareth Southgate’s side remain in pole position to qualify in top spot for next year’s World Cup, four points clear in the group with four games to play.
But their position looked like being even better than that when a ball fell to Kane more than 25 yards out and he unleashed a swerving shot that gave former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Sczzesny little chance. It is the 15th consecutive World Cup or European Championships qualifier in which Kane has found the net.
However, there will be questions about why England appeared to sit off after Kane had given them the lead, while Southgate did not make any substitutions to freshen things up.
The scares in a frenetic finish mounted up from the moment Jordan Pickford’s clearance ten minutes from time struck the leg of Karol Swiderski and bounced towards the goal before the goalkeeper grabbed it on the line.
Polish talisman Robert Lewandowski then curled a shot just over the bar as a raucous crowd roared their heroes on.
While they generated a tremendous atmosphere, it was rather less savoury ahead of kick-off as the England players were jeered for taking the knee, six days after some of them were subjected to racist abuse in Hungary.
Although the match was played with a tremendous backdrop of noise, chances were few and far between with the main first-half talking point a fracas after the half-time whistle had blown that saw Kamil Glik and an incensed Harry Maguire booked.