Spot of luck for Three Lions after Sterling penalty

England's Raheem Sterling is ecstatic after scoring from the penalty spot during the Nations League tie v Iceland on Saturday. Pic/AP,PTI

Gareth Southgate admitted England got away with it after escaping another embarrassing result against Iceland as Raheem Sterling's penalty secured a 1-0 win in a dramatic finale to kick off their UEFA Nations League campaign on Saturday.

After Sterling opened the scoring in the 92nd minute, Birkir Bjarnason missed a spot-kick for the hosts as both sides were also reduced to 10 men in the final 20 minutes in Reykjavik.

Four years on from one of English football's most embarrassing nights in losing 2-1 to Iceland at Euro 2016, the Three Lions were far from the free-scoring force that romped through Euro 2020 qualifying in their first match for 10 months.

Gareth Southgate

'Lack of sharpness'

Southgate pinpointed a lack of match sharpness with the new EPL season still a week away for an underwhelming performance. "You see the lack of match sharpness and training practice in the last third, which is perfectly understandable."

Southgate insisted Kyle Walker and Joe Gomez must learn from mistakes that nearly cost their country. Walker's mistimed lunge 20 minutes from time left England a man down.

Then with the 10 men having finally broken the deadlock, Gomez was caught out of possession straight from kick-off and pulled down Holmbert Fridjonsson inside the area. "The sending off is a key moment because it is very difficult to win games of football when you go down to 10 men. It was an unnecessary red card," said Southgate. "It sums the week up, there's been difficult challenges, we leave here with the win but a bit flat because in the end it feels like we got away with it."

'Worst defeat'

Iceland coach Erik Hamren thought a draw would have been a fairer outcome. "I've been a coach over 40 years and this feels like one of the worst defeats," he said.

Southgate handed an international debut to Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden, while Southampton's James Ward-Prowse started for the first time for his country.

However, there was still plenty of experience and promise in a front three of Harry Kane, Sterling and Jadon Sancho for England to have had a far more comfortable afternoon.

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