England's Final Qualifier
posted by The Blue Devil @ 11:36 AM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Sunday, October 08, 2017
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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100 Comments:
It looks like it's a filthy evening in Vilnius, so I'm more than happy to be tucked up in The Cottage here to watch this one. I hope you'll join me this afternoon for a natter.
Gareth has taken my advice and gone with a very new look England starting XI:
Butland, Trippier, Cresswell, Keane, Maguire, Stones, Winks, Henderson, Kane, Alli
Bit of fun banter between Warren Barton and Stu Holden about England's prospects next summer. Not surprising, Warren thinks England will do well and Stu thinks they shouldn't book an extended stay in Russia.
Teams out on the pitch now enjoying the anthems:
Lithuania: Setkus, Andriuskevicius, Girdvainis, Zulpa, Linas Klimavicius, Borovskij, Slivka, Verbickas, Novikovas, Sernas, Cernych. Subs: Zubas, Freidgeimas, Kijanskas, Mikuckis, Silenas, Vaitkunas, Matulevicius, Chvedukas, Papsys, Spalvis, Valskis, Cerniauskas.
England: Butland, Keane, Stones, Maguire, Trippier, Winks, Henderson, Cresswell, Alli, Kane, Rashford. Subs: Pickford, Forster, Smalling, Walker, Cahill, Dier, Livermore, Defoe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sturridge, Sterling, Lingard.
Referee: Orel Grinfeld (Israel)
Peter Drury and Andy Hinchcliffe are the commentators for this afternoon. And Lithuania get us underway wearing yellow and black. England in all white.
The night’s first shot comes from the left boot of Novikovas, who strikes over the bar from 25 yards or so.
England employing three at the back today with Trippier and Maguire given the freedom to romp up the pitch.
Oh - Cresswell delivered a lovely ball over after Rashford's corner had evaded everyone. Maguire not too far away.
Neat interplay there from England before Kane fizzes one at goal from distance.
Cernych bursts forward and wins a first corner for Lithuania. Mark up, lads!
Cernych again is the danger man. Good ball whipped in and he nearly touched it inside the near post. What are we playing at?
Oh - Winks did well to nip in there and too find Rashford who pondered on the ball too long.
Sounds as if the England brass band didn't make the trip tonight. There's some pounding away in the background but that could be some locals.
Rashford looks off the pace already.
Ponderous so far from England. They won't open up even a poor side like Lithuania with this lack of ideas.
Speculative ball in from Rash but neither Kane nor Alli were on the right wavelength.
Yeah, the Rash has been pretty sloppy with his footwork for the first 15. Hopefully he'll get accustomed to the wet and pace of the field very soon, I want him to do well tonight.
That Desperate Dan muppet Maguire is a ponderous choice at the back. Are we that thin there, Gareth?
Another Lithuania corner it cleared out.
Agreed - I've got a lot of hope in Marcus for next summer.
Welcome, Gooner - great to have you on board.
The Scots are still at 0-0 in Slovenia in their crucial qualifier.
Meanwhile, Poland are already 2-0 up over Montenegro.
England now have a chance to float a free kick in - Cresswell over it.
Good ball in but no one attacking it. It comes back out to Keane who has a crack at a bouncing volley but puts it wide.
Wahay! Dele Alli has gone over in the box and it's a penalty to England!!
Not a lot of contact there - I think it's a bit soft.
Of course it's HK to take....
Oooh - just in off the post with the keeper going the right way.
I suppose that's a pen, but I'd be really unhappy to have conceded that. And Kane does that great thing where the ball goes inside the post and careens in across the goalmouth. 1-0 England
Trippier has a chance to get a good cross in but finds the keeper. His delivery has got to be better if he thinks he has a chance to edge Kyle Walker out of the starting XI.
Agreed - Dele Alli is a floppy sod and I fear he'll develop a reputation for that kind of thing.
That's now 23 goals in 12 matches for Kane - just about two a match. Great strike rate.
I think that any non Spurs fan and and journo or commentator who didn't grow up with pictures of Gazza and Lineker on their bedroom walls know exactly what kind of play-acting whiner Dele Alli is.
Sorry, that's the other way around - 12 goals in 23 matches. One goal every two matches. That makes more sense.
Scotland on the board. That would be nice if it held.
The Balts scramble that away, but it's good to see the Rash settling in now.
Sure - I'd be happy with the Jocks joining us.
We're bossing this one now - the Liths haven't had a sniff in fifteen minutes or so. I'd like to see us push on and win this 0-3 or 0-4 or so.
Rashford is bundled over on the edge of the box - ref calls nothing. Rash is down for the count.
That challenge on Rash was a much more convincing penalty shout than the one Alli got rewarded for
Oh - Cernych had a go and Butland had to tip it around.
Whew, a bit of a let off there. Butland had to save a bouncer at his left post. Too casual in the defending in front of the keeper
Peep peep! Well, that was a fairly tame outing, typical of a match that doesn't mean a lot. I'd like to see some changes for the second half.
PEEP. A bit flat but appropriate to the conditions, the situation and the newness of this first team..
Back out for the second half now - England get us underway. No changes as of yet, sadly.
I predict another goal, probably for Kane and then shutting up shop. I can't see this as the occasion for anything more scintilating than this meager fare.
The England front men will know that they've got 15 to 20 to make an impression before they get the hook.
Another wasted ball by Trippier.
Trippierr's corner is far too long and then Rashford runs through treacle on the edge of the box.
That's better - Harry Winks bursts through and drams a save out of the keeper.
Very good from Kane and Winks denied well both times by the Balt keeper.
If Trippier could get a decent ball over from a set piece, I think we could probably score a second from that.
Oh dear - Keane nearly scores at the wrong end. Rutland bails him out.
Ooooh, Keane in front of his own goal nearly sticks it past Butland. Probably the closest that the Balts have come so far.
Yeah, it's too bad that there are few quality crossers of the ball on the pitch. Just think that if Bentley hadn't proved to be such a wanker, and if Albrighton's career hadn't stalled so badly at his poor choice of clubs, we'd be very happy with what they could contribute.
Time for Gareth to put his thinking cap on now.
True - it's interesting how certain players tend to tail off in their careers. I am surprised that Jonjo Shelvey isn't in the frame now that Newcastle are back up in the Prem.
Give someone else a chance at the corners, Garath!!! No, not you Kane.
A bit of singing now but it really sounds as if the England support are pretty soggy tonight. They're just going to be happy to get back to the pubs in the Vilnius city center.
Shelvey would be in the frame if he could tackle without sliding in from 3 yards. I've seldom seen a player in that area of the pitch so abject in a crucial part of his game. Maybe not since Gareth Barry earlier and now at this late stage of his career.
Kane wins a free kick now. Too far out to have a go. Hendo will chip this one in.
I haven't noticed that. I just see him as one of the only young English players in the Prem who has a range of passing that can open up teams.
Slovakia spoiling Scotland's party now. Too bad.
Alli pops up at the top of the box but then hoofs his shot well over. Should hit the target from that range.
Ah...that's a shame.
It looks really cold and miserable there. Remind me not to book our next vacation in Lithuania. Cor!
I think he's already suspended for on-field indicipline. I could be wrong but that's my impression.
Oh - Cresswell rises there to meet a Hendo cross. Good save!
This time of year, it's only the indoors and indoors of the pubs of Vilnius that have any attraction for me.
What's Gareth waiting for? He can't like what he sees out there.
Ah - here comes Sturridge. Not before time, mate.
Do you book any flights to Vilnius?
Kane spins and shoots. Deflected out for a corner.
Sturridge on for Rashford - that makes sense. Rash was never really in this match. He looked gassed from the start.
Yeah for a financial management consultant client. But Vilnius is a popular weekend stag-do destination for Brits. Cheap hotels, food, and booze abound. Generous opening hours too.
Dear oh dear - that was a promising ball in by Hendo and Dele made a right hash of the header.
Even by England’s standards, this game has been unusually dull.
The Rash had a poor start, came into it for the last 25 minutes of the first half, and has had a tough time imposing himself in the second. A pretty so-so performance.
That bassist from the RHCP lookalike just got the hook too. Good, he's had much of their attacking chances.
Looks like Lingard might come on at the next stoppage too.
Oh - another really big chance for Trippier to play a good ball in and he passes it straight to the keeper. Disappointing.
I wouldn't mind seeing Lindy on. I'm not sure exactly how he fits into the England set-up but who knows?
I want to see Sturridge chasing down any scraps at this point. Here comes Lindy. Dele Alli off.
Alli leaves before he gets a yellow so that's a result for him. On comes the aforementioned Lingard
Oh - half chance for Sturridge. Just wide with his right.
No where near the target? It was inches away that shot from Sturridge. Covered by the keeper, is that what you meant Andy Hinchcliffe?
Best chance of the night of the Lithuanians. The sub latches on to a knock-on and volleys straight at Butland.
Wasn't Hinchcliffe an Everton lad?
England let off with that tall Balt's finish there. Either side this would have been level. Not good from the covering defenders who were undone by their complacency and slow reaction to that flicked pass,
Kane with another chance - deflected out for a corner.
Everton rings a bell, yeah. He's an unusual and obscure choice.
England running the time down now, happy just to notch another clean sheet.
The Fox crowd is definitely B-team. The fake Rebecca Lowe, Stuart Holden, Warren Barton.
Peter Drury has forgotten how many subs have been used.
Oh - big chance for Sturridge. Well blocked by the defender.
Oh - Maguire only needed a touch there for a debut goal!
I prefer Stu to TT. Soft spot for him because of his desperate luck with bad injuries. TT uses the USA player's first names in a pally way too. Stu Holden all the way. Rebecca Lowe is an impossible standard for any other women. Warren Barton, eh.
That's about that then. A disappointing outing for England. Another three points, yes, but only due to a soft penalty converted by Kane.
C'mon the Scots. Get in you jocks.
Over to Slovenia where the Scots are desperate to get a late, late goal.
Oh - Snoddy had a chance there from the header. Collected by the keeper.
That's that - Scotland are out. It'll be Slovakia in the playoffs.
Well, that's it for me. I've off to do my usual Sunday errands. Cheerio for now!
Bollocks! The Scots are out.
The Poles are happy that they qualified. Lewandowski is too classy to get an easy summer on the beach any way.
Righto!
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