England Come from Behind in Copenhagen

Denmark 1 England 2

A first international goal for Ashley Young twenty minutes from time ensured that Fabio Capello’s Three Lions fought back from a goal down to beat Martin Olsen’s side in the Parken Stadium. Daniel Agger had given the Danish an early lead, heading in a cross from the eye-catching Christian Eriksen, but with little more than ten minutes played England had responded and equalised through Darren Bent.

Jack Wilshere got his first start and looked solid in a deep lying role in midfield. The home side wasted a couple of early half chances through the profligate Nicklas Bendtner, but it was the visitors who created the first clear sight of goal. Bent pounced on a slack backpass, but Thomas Sorensen came off his line sharply to smother. Wayne Rooney was the first to rebound but was forced wide and Mathias Jorgensen cleared his shot off the line.

With seven minutes played Michael Krohn-Dehli who also had an excellent game for the Danes passed into Eriksen and the Ajax prodigy’s cross was met by the flying Agger ahead of Michael Dawson whose header went beyond Joe Hart to give Olsen’s men the lead. Capello got an instant response to going a goal and two and a half minutes later England were on level terms. After patient build up and a lengthy spell of possession, Rooney had the vision to find Theo Walcott with an inspired cross field pass. The Arsenal winger then showed strength and skill to get the better of Simon Poulsen and his cross was tapped home by Bent about a yard out.

Eriksen continued to be a thorn in the side of the Three Lions. Taking up a position in the hole every Danish attack went through him and were it not for good tracking back from Wilshere and Dawson’s tackle on Bendtner the home side might have had another clear sight of goal. With ten minutes to go to the break the England captain Frank Lampard allowed Eriksen to drift away from him and free the Ajax forward exchanged passes with Bendtner before cracking a shot from the edge of the area that came back off the post. Krohn-Dehli blazed the rebound well over.

The visitors continued to live dangerously as half time approached. Eriksen slipped a ball in to Rommedahl between Terry and Ashley Cole and his shot form a tightening angle was saved by the legs of Hart to keep the score even. At the interval Capello swapped Lampard, Rooney and Wilshere for Gareth Barry, Scott Parker and Ashley Young and these changes had the desired effect. England pressed for a second goal, with the Aston Villa front line almost combining, but Sorensen bravely punched with Bent lurking. Young had chipped up a cute cross from his teammate. James Milner also posed a threat down the left, putting in some dangerous balls into the box.

Denmark had a great chance of their own to retake the lead with a quarter of the match remaining. Krohn-Dheli found Eriksen yet again and his audacious back heel set up Rommedahl but he couldn’t put his shot across Hart and the Manchester City keeper smothered it out with his body. The Danish number nine would get caught in possession by Glen Johnson and this would lead to the visitors getting their winner. The Liverpool full back played a crisp pass into Young’s path and he slotted it past the exposed Sorensen at the near post.

The victory is Capello’s first since the win in Switzerland, with a subsequent draw with Montenegro and defeat at the hands of France in the interim. There are a number of positives for England fans to take from tonight’s performance. Resiliency, patient build-up and good football got their reward, but some of the defending needs to be tightened up. Wilshere acquitted himself well in the middle of park. For Denmark there’s no doubt Eriksen is a real talent and one of Scandinavian football’s players to watch in future.