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Rediff.com  » Sports » Euro qualifiers PHOTOS: Rooney closes in all England goal record

Euro qualifiers PHOTOS: Rooney closes in all England goal record

June 15, 2015 11:39 IST
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Photos from the Euro 2016 qualifying matches played on Sunday

ngland's Wayne Rooney celebrates after scoring their third goal against Slovenia in their Euro qualifiers on Sunday

England's Wayne Rooney celebrates after scoring their third goal against Slovenia in their UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifying Group E match at Stozice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia on Sunday. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters

England striker Wayne Rooney moved within one goal of equalling their all-time scoring record when his late goal secured a 3-2 win in Slovenia and kept up the Group E leaders' 100 percent record in Euro 2016 qualifying on Sunday.

Jack Wilshere earlier twice smashed the ball into the top corner from outside the area, his first international goals, as England moved within touching distance of the finals in France with 18 points from six Group E games, nine above second-placed Slovenia.

Milivoje Novakovic had coolly given the hosts a 37th-minute lead after a series of England errors and Nejc Pecnik made it 2-2 late on before a defensive howler set up Rooney for his 48th England goal, one behind record holder Bobby Charlton.

"It was a long time ago when England last went a season unbeaten and we're proud of that achievement," Rooney told ITV after the Three Lions managed the feat for the first time since 1990-91.

"We need to keep improving now over the next season and make sure we qualify for the Euros. We're certainly a team that is progressing."

Raheem Sterling missed a golden chance early on for England and also shot narrowly wide after 14 minutes with his mixed performance under particular scrutiny.

He was kept in the starting line-up despite being booed in the recent 0-0 friendly with Ireland because of an average display and his behaviour in requesting to leave Liverpool.

England's Chris Smalling has a shot at goal

England's Chris Smalling (right) is challenged by a Slovenia player. Photograph: Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters

Novakovic then grabbed the opener against the run of play.

Right back Phil Jones bungled a throw-in and Slovenia quickly broke up field where England played too high a line and enabled the 36-year-old to amble on to a through ball and calmly slot beyond Joe Hart.

Jones was substituted for midfielder Adam Lallana at halftime, with media reports blaming an ankle injury, and midfielder Jordan Henderson was employed at right back.

England made three starting changes from the bore draw in Dublin with Kieran Gibbs replacing Ryan Bertrand at left back and Fabian Delph and Andros Townsend coming into midfield.

The trio had their moments but Lallana's introduction made the difference with the tricky player having a hand in both Wilshere's wonderful strikes, in what was the best game in an England shirt for the Arsenal man.

Club teammate Gibbs was as fault for Slovenia's equaliser with former Sheffield Wednesday player Nejc Pecnik climbing above him to head home after 84 minutes.

But just a minute later, Rooney latched on to misplaced intervention from Bojan Jokic and, having missed two easier chances earlier, fired home as England almost booked their passage to France with the top two qualifying automatically.

Spain record narrow win in Belarus

Spain's Gerard Pique (left) and Belarus's Sergei Kornilenko jump for a header during their Euro 2016 Group C qualifying match at the Borisov Arena stadium outside Minsk, Belarus, on Sunday

Spain's Gerard Pique (left) and Belarus's Sergei Kornilenko jump for a header during their Euro 2016 Group C qualifying match at the Borisov Arena stadium outside Minsk, Belarus, on Sunday. Photograph: Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque celebrated his 100th match in charge by praising his side's display in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Belarus in a Euro 2016 qualifier in Borisov on Sunday.

"I am happy with our performance as we controlled proceedings for practically the whole game," said the 64-year-old, the first Spain manager to reach the century milestone.

"There was only a 15 minute period in the second half, when our opponents managed to grab the initiative.

"It was a difficult match for us but we managed to claim three very important points, which helps to fight it out for a place in the European Championship.

"There are three teams who are trying to qualify."

The win kept European champions Spain in second place in Group C with 15 points from six games -- three points behind group leaders Slovakia and three ahead of Ukraine.

The top two go directly to the finals in France with the third-placed team set for the tension of the playoffs.

Asked about reaching the century mark as manager, the unflappable Del Bosque was philosophical about his achievement.

"My 100th game in charge of the team? This has been a long ride and we have had everything -- good and bad things. We will see what waits for us in the future," Del Bosque added.

Goalscorer David Silva, who struck just before halftime, spoke in glowing terms about Del Bosque.

"The coach has achieved great things with us and I am sure that we will achieve even more with him," he said.

Silva also praised Iker Casillas, winning his 162nd cap, after the 34-year-old made a couple of fine second-half saves.

"Iker is a fantastic goalkeeper. He is the best for us, there is nothing more that I can say," said Silva.

Belarus head coach Alexander Khatskevich believed his side were unlucky, adding: "I thought we were fairly organised in defence. We stuck to our plan, but fortune was not on our side."

Goalkeeper Andrei Gorbunov, who was unable to cut out the cross from Cesc Fabregas that led to Silva's goal, said: "This is Spain, and I knew that I would have a lot to do.

"We made a little mistake and conceded a goal. However, we also had an excellent chance. It was just unfortunate we could not take it," said the 32-year-old referring to Sergei Kornilenko's effort which Casillas turned behind with his leg.

Ibrahimovic double secures Sweden win over Montenegro

Swedens' Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) celebrates with teammate Jublar Alexander Milosevic after netting a goal against Montenegro during their UEFA Euro 2016 Group G qualifying match at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday 

Swedens' Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) celebrates with teammate Jublar Alexander Milosevic after netting a goal against Montenegro during their UEFA Euro 2016 Group G qualifying match at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday. Photograph: Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency/Reuters

Two Zlatan Ibrahimovic strikes formed part of a three-goal burst just before halftime that gave Sweden a 3-1 win over a feisty Montenegro in their Group G Euro 2016 qualifier at the Friends Arena on Sunday.

The result means Sweden stay in second on 12 points, four points behind leaders Austria, who beat third-placed Russia 1-0 in Moscow. Montenegro lie fourth on five points. The home side took the lead in the 38th minute after Ibrahimovic drifted out to feed Sebastian Larsson, who set Albin Ekdal free down the right and his pinpoint cross was firmly headed home by Marcus Berg.

Two minutes later it was Ibrahimovic's turn, collecting a throw-in on the left before cutting inside and thumping a shot from distance past Vukasin Poleksic, whose poorly-timed dive saw the ball squirm under his body.

Ibrahimovic netted his 56th goal for his country a minute before halftime, latching on to Larsson's long ball before coolly dispatching it past the helpless goalkeeper.

Dejan Damjanovic pulled a goal back for Montenegro midway through the second half, firing home a penalty after Stefan Mugosa was hacked down in the box, and they could have had a second moments later but for Andreas Isaksson, who got a hand to Fatos Beciraj's close-range effort. Montenegro continued to chase the game, forcing the Swedes onto the backfoot for much of the second half, but the home rearguard held firm. Ibrahimovic fought hard to complete his hat-trick and was forced to change shirts after his right sleeve was ripped off in one of many over-zealous duels with the Montenegrin backline, before being substituted in the final minute to rapturous applause.

Slovakia beat Macedonia 2-1 to maintain perfect record

Slovakia kept up their perfect start to the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 home win over Macedonia thanks to first-half goals from Kornel Salata and Marek Hamsik in Zilina on Sunday.

Slovakia top Group C with 18 points from six games ahead of European champions Spain, who have 15 after beating Belarus 1-0 away, and Ukraine on 12 after a 3-0 home win over Luxembourg.

The Slovaks opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Salata, named as a last-minute starter after Jan Durica was ruled out due to injury, beat the offside trap to head home.

Hamsik doubled the lead in the 38th when he latched onto Robert Mak's through ball, rounded the keeper and slotted home.

Macedonia pulled a goal back in the 69th minute when the unmarked Arijan Ademi tapped the ball into the net after a corner was nodded on from the near post.

The visitors were unable to capitalise on the goal and were reduced to 10 men with six minutes left when Feran Hasani was sent off for a second yellow card.

"They weren't pushing so hard, we were just playing our game," Slovakia midfielder Viktor Pecovsky said.

"In the second half we stopped playing a little bit but we managed."

Ukraine overwhelm Luxembourg with three second-half goals

Ukraine had to work hard to crack open a determined Luxembourg defence but three second-half goals secured a 3-0 win at the Lviv Arena in their Euro 2016 Group C qualifier on Sunday.

Ukraine were whistled by their own fans near the end of the first period but responded after the restart with goals from Artem Kravetsk, Denys Germash and Evhen Konoplyanka.

The win move Ukraine level on 12 points with European champions Spain, who visit Belarus later on Sunday, and three points behind group leaders Slovakia who host Macedonia.

Bottom side Luxembourg almost scored after 10 minutes when winger Daniel Da Mota hit the post with only goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov to beat after evading Mykola Morozyuk's sliding tackle.

Ukraine's Taras Stepanenko headed over the bar from close range a few minutes earlier and later Konoplyanka applied a poor finish inside the penalty area to a neat Andriy Yarmolenko pass.

However, Ukraine finally took the lead four minutes into the second half when striker Artem chested the ball into the net after Kravetsk Morozyuk curled over a cross from the right.

Germash grabbed their second goal in the 57th after defender Vyacheslav Shevchuk's headed the ball into the area having been the first to react when his initial shot was blocked.

Konoplyanka rifled a low shot inside the post in the 86th to wrap up the win after stealing the ball following careless defending to cap what was a frustrating overall performance.

Luxembourg remain last in the group with one point.

Janko's acrobatics give Austria victory in Moscow

A spectacular overhead kick from Marc Janko gave Austria an impressive 1-0 win in Russia on Sunday to put them in control of Euro 2016 qualifying Group G.

Janko's acrobatic strike stunned the Moscow crowd and Austria helf firm to move to 16 points from six matches, eight ahead of third-placed Russia and seven ahead of Sweden who have played one game fewer.

Russia coach Fabio Capello handed competitive international debuts to Ivan Novoseltsev and Oleg Ivanov while an injury to captain Vasili Berezutski meant a debut for 19-year-old Nikita Chernov despite him never having played appeared in the Russian Premier League for his club side CSKA Moscow.

The hosts made a nervous start and Austria deservedly took the lead after 33 minutes.

Following a defensive mix-up, the ball was only cleared as far as Janko who produced a spectacular finish.

Marcel Koller's side should have doubled their advantage a minute later when an excellent cross-field pass by Zlatko Junuzovic put Julian Baumgartlinger through on goal but the Mainz midfielder's shot went just wide.

Russia improved after the interval with chances falling to Alexei Miranchuk and Yuri Zhirkov while at the other end Marcel Sabitzer brought a smart save out of Igor Akinfeev.

Despite some late pressure, the visitors were able to hold on to a vital three points.

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