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England beat Poland to top group

12/10/2005

England answered their critics with a much-improved performance to beat Poland 2-1 and clinch top spot in group seven.

Frank Lampard struck the winner ten minutes from time after Tomasz Frankowski had equalised stand-in captain Michael Owen's opening goal.

The dominant performance will also answer those critics who have savaged England after a run of poor results, punctuated by defeats to Denmark and Northern Ireland.

England began the game brightly and created a number of half-chances before testing the goalkeeper for the first time on 24 minutes.

Joe Cole found himself wide on the left and his chipped cross found Chelsea team-mate Lampard, who could only direct his header straight at Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Wayne Rooney and Cole then fired long-range efforts just over the bar before England made the break-through on 43 minutes.

A Lampard corner was only half-cleared and the ball found its way to Cole on the edge of the box.

He volleyed the ball goalwards and his effort was deflected into the net by Michael Owen.

The Newcastle striker's goal meant Owen has broken Gary Lineker's record of 22 goals in competitive internationals.

Poland fought straight back and were level before the break.

Kamil Kosowski broke down the right and even though his first attempt at a cross was blocked by John Terry, the ball broke to the byline and Kosowski's lofted cross was emphatically volleyed home by Frankowski for his seventh goal of the qualification campaign.

Frankowski had only been on the field for nine minutes after replacing Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski, who limped off with a hamstring injury.

England came out with the same high tempo that they showed in the first half and Cole had a goal disallowed on 63 minutes.

Their dominance finally paid off, though, with ten minutes to go as they broke from the back with Lampard.

The move seemed to break down but then Owen's chipped ball found the onrushing Lampard and he volleyed past Boruc from 12 yards to complete the win.

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