ENGLAND BLOW IT AT DEATH
Stoppage-time leveller wrecks 100 per cent record after Kane’s cannonball silences the Poles
THIS felt like a defeat. Damian Szymanski’s stoppage-time equaliser for Poland was a dagger to the heart of England. They were courageous here in Warsaw and it looked for all the world like the Three Lions would leave victorious, courtesy of a breathtaking strike from captain Harry Kane.
But Gareth Southgate’s team were left heartbroken right at the death, substitute Szymanski heading home from close range to end England’s 100 per cent record in Group I.
In the grand scheme of things, a point here — in what should be their toughest qualifying game — is not a disaster. It would still take a calamitous capitulation for England to miss out on World Cup qualification.
And when Southgate’s men arrive in Qatar next year, they will do so stronger after this harsh lesson.
England looked to have played the perfect game, showing maturity to see out early Poland pressure before asserting themselves as the dominant force. Southgate’s side will have left here feeling hard done by and that would be justified.
However, if you had offered the manager and his players seven points out of nine and a four-point lead at the top of their World Cup qualification group before this three-game international break, they would have taken it.
As expected, Southgate reverted to the starting XI that dispatched Hungary so emphatically last week. Perhaps it was harsh on some of the players who excelled in the 4-0 win against Andorra on Sunday. Bukayo Saka, Jesse Lingard and Jude Bellingham had been superb at Wembley.
But therein lies the challenge for those on the periphery of Southgate’s team. And you wouldn’t have blamed the England boss for feeling like he had got his team selection wrong during the opening 15 minutes here, as Poland shifted quickly into gear.
Tymoteusz Puchacz and Kamil Glik passed up early sights of goal before Jakub Moder forced Jordan Pickford into his first save of the night in the 15th minute, after being played through by Robert Lewandowski.
To add to England’s early concern, Kalvin Phillips picked up a booking just eight minutes in for a challenge on Puchacz.
But you never had the sense that England were in danger of losing control. This England team rarely panic. Quite the opposite, in fact — they rally. And gradually they began to impose themselves. You expected the net to bulge when Kane connected with Raheem Sterling’s tantalising cross after 21 minutes but the skipper, for once, failed to execute.
All of a sudden, England were playing with verve. Of course, with Lewandowski in the opposition ranks you can never become complacent. Indeed, if Lewandowski had connected sweetly with Karol Linetty’s superb pass, then England would have been chasing. But the scare did not take the wind out of the visitors’ sails.
The crowd’s deafening jeering towards the end of the first half as England played keep-ball was a surefire sign of how the night was developing.
But while Southgate’s men were building up a head of steam, creating clear-cut opportunities — apart from Kane’s early chance — was proving a problem.
The opening 45 minutes finished in fiery fashion as an altercation between Harry Maguire and Glik ended with both sets of players and staff clashing after the whistle for half-time had been blown. The two players at the centre of the melee were booked.
Southgate would have been quietly satisfied with the first half, particularly as his team had scored seven second-half goals in their previous two games. You could sense England felt the game was there for taking. First, Jack Grealish flashed a low cross across the face of goal before Sterling twice found himself in threatening positions, only to take too long to make a final decision.
The boos re-emerged, only this time they were louder, as dissatisfaction at England’s dominance started to grip the home supporters.
Maguire thought he had opened the scoring in the 61st minute when his looping header from Luke Shaw’s free-kick looked to have beaten Wojciech Szczesny, but the effort hit a post.
But it was just a matter of time, the whole stadium knew it. And when it arrived — wow.
Kane collected the ball more than 30 yards out. The Poles knew what was coming. They couldn’t stop it, though.
Bang. The ball was in transit, arcing away from Szczesny. Kane was already wheeling away in celebration. He knew when he hit it.
But somehow England lost their way. First, Pickford’s attempted clearance ricocheted off Karol Swiderski, but the keeper recovered in time to claim.
And then up popped Szymanski at the death, set up majestically by Lewandowski, to leave England on the floor.