A goal that was more poacher than Pele was not what Wayne Rooney would have visualised when he retired to his hotel room on the eve of this European Championship encounter. But it was a goal that propelled England into a quarter-final few thought Roy Hodgson would reach when he was parachuted into Wembley last month, and a goal that secures a meeting with Italy in Kiev on Sunday rather than the world and defending European champions here on Saturday.
It was also a goal that was given, which was more than could be said for the one Marko Devic scored in the 62nd minute. Joe Hart had not done enough to halt the progress of Devic’s shot and John Terry, for all his heroics, was too late when he finally cleared. That the officials did not spot that the ball had crossed the line should at least silence Michel Platini in his outdated opposition to goalline technology. In the end, it mattered not. Thanks to a quite astonishing victory for Sweden over France, England emerged as comfortable winners of Group D and it is of little comfort to Ukraine that it would not have rescued them from elimination either.
For England, however, it was all rather more positive. This was their fourth win in five under Hodgson, extending the unbeaten run they have so far enjoyed under their new manager. Hodgson will still have his issues with the performance here at the Donbass Arena. As Steven Gerrard said, it was ‘not fantastic’. It was actually far from that at times. Rooney’s 48th-minute goal was important on so many levels, not least in easing the sense of anxiety that had developed among England’s players after a nervy first half against co-hosts who were classy in everything they did except their finishing. Hodgson would have returned to the dressing room at the interval more with a sigh of relief than a swagger, such was the manner in which his team held Ukraine to a goalless first 45 minutes. Defensively England were terrific. John Terry was magnificent, just as he was against France. Just as he almost always is in an England shirt.
But he was not alone in impressing in the back four. Alongside Terry, Joleon Lescott also did well. As did Glen Johnson to Terry’s right. Such a solid defensive performance will do Johnson’s confidence no harm and the save Joe Hart made in the second half to deny Yevhen Konoplianka highlighted the quality of England’s goalkeeper too. Ahead of them Gerrard and Scott Parker again ran themselves into the ground. No England player ran further than Parker. But Gerrard offers so much more than protection for the back four. He is proving a fine captain in this tournament, leading by example and providing the kind of service every striker dreams of.
He provided the ball for Lescott against France, for Andy Carroll against Sweden and it was his ball Rooney converted here from less than a yard. Rooney enjoyed a touch of good fortune too. The ball bounced up beautifully for him after clipping Yevhen Khacheridi and slipping through the hands of Andriy Pyatov. But it was a marvellous cross from Gerrard and it came after he had beaten the full back too.
Rooney fires Hodgson’s heroes through
