LION CUBS ROARING ON
Half-time row gets young Lions fired up as Redmond hits winner
NATHAN REDMOND prevented an early Euros exit for England after a dressing-room row at half time.
The angry inquest at the break followed a poor first-half performance that left the team facing elimination.
But the heated exchanges paid off, with Aidy Boothroyd’s young Lions roaring back into the tournament.
Defender Alfie Mawson cancelled out Martin Chrien’s opener for Slovakia – a header from a corner – and Redmond’s cracker gave England the win that puts them top of Group A.
They need to beat hosts Poland on Thursday night to reach the semi-finals.
It was Swansea defender Mawson’s first goal for his country and he revealed: “It was a mixture at half time. It was a little bit heated. Some players were frustrated.
“I was frustrated about the way we conceded the goal. Aidy was calm, everyone got calm and we said we had to man up and do the right thing.
“It’s one of those things. We don’t take it in a negative way.
“We were 1-0 down, backs to the wall and we passed the test with flying colours. It never gets personal. You just think to yourself he is getting on to me here because he knows I can do better.
“There’s a way to do it. You give each other credit too at right time.”
With senior team boss Gareth Southgate (right) watching at the Kolporter Arena, England’s opening 45 minutes lacked spirit and invention. They played a midfield diamond, lacked width and shuffled the ball around with a dull, safety-first attitude.
It was the raw aggression and feisty attitude of Slovakia that initially gave them the edge and saw Chrien’s flicked header loop over keeper Jordan Pickford. The half time break helped settle England, with the players demanding more of each other, and boss Boothroyd adding his advice and reshuffling the team. Jacob Murphy, dropped from the starting line-up, was brought on at right-back and crossed on 50 minutes to set up Mawson’s leveller. His first effort was saved, but he followed up to tap in and give England 40 minutes in which to conjure up a win.
They did not have long to wait for the second goal.
Just past the hour, Tammy Abraham, excellent after the break, held the ball up well, James Ward-Prowse swept a long pass to Redmond on the edge of the box, and he jinked inside and smashed home.
Slovakia, who won their first group game, had physically run out of steam after such an intense start, and England played keep-ball to finish the job.
Boothroyd said: “First half we kept possession but when we started to go forward we gave it away and didn’t penetrate. There wasn’t enough running off the ball or any real creativity.
“I thought in the second half we needed someone who was really attack-minded at rightback. That’s what I made the change for. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.
“It was difficult – Slovakia are a very underrated team.
“Poland will be difficult. We’ve been welcomed into the city by our hosts and I’m sure it will be a good game. We’ll have to be at our best.”