Darren Bent and Ashley Young save England the blushes as the three lions rally to beat Denmark 2-1 in friendly last night
Darren Bent and Ashley Young save England the blushes as the three lions rally to beat Denmark 2-1 in friendly last night |
| Denmark's Christian Poulsen and England's Gareth Barry tussle for the ball during an international friendly match at Parken Stadium last night. England won 2-1.
PIC/Getty Images |
Ashley Young scored his first goal for England as Fabio Capello's side came from behind to beat Denmark 2-1 last night in a morale-boosing win ahead of their Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales next month.
Aston Villa player Young, recently converted from winger to striker, came off the bench to give England victory after Daniel Agger had put the Danes ahead and Young's Villa team-mate Darren Bent had equalised.
The visitors could and should have gone ahead in the opening minutes of the match when goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen dived at the feet of Bent only to see the ball squirm to Wayne Rooney inside the penalty box. But the Manchester United striker dithered over the opportunity and when he eventually shot it was cleared off the line by Mathias Jorgensen.
In a surprisingly open passage of play Denmark quickly made amends when the influential Eriksen crossed from the right and Agger, who plays his club football in England with Liverpool, got between John Terry and Michael Dawson to head home in the seventh minute.
That lead lasted only 120 seconds, however, because England replied when winger Theo Walcott turned his marker inside out in the penalty area and crossed low for Bent, given a rare chance to start up front alongside Rooney, to tap home at the far post for only his second international goal.
It was England who looked mostly like to find a winner, however, with both Bent and Young going close with headers before the latter finally made his mark.
Glen Johnson ran the length of the pitch before dinking a pass inside for Young to side-foot home clinically in the 69th minute - ufffd his first goal for England on his 12th appearance.
