Slovenia vs. England: Score, Grades and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier
Jack Wilshere scored twice to aid England in recording a 3-2 win over Slovenia on Sunday and prevent his side from suffering what would have been the first defeat of their Euro 2016 qualification campaign.
Roy Hodgson's men were stunned to see opposing striker Milivoje Novakovic open the scoring before half-time, but the official Premier League Twitter account confirmed England's encouraging comeback:
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Just as they had done in the reverse fixture seven months ago, the Three Lions started with plenty of innovation on Sunday, but finding the end product proved troubling.
A front three of Andros Townsend, Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling looked industrious in the opening exchanges, and England could take heart in the fact that any Slovenia breaks didn't look all that troubling.
Slovenian stopper Samir Handanovic was called into action early, but Rooney and Co. found the goalkeeper difficult to surpass.
The Press Association's Simon Peach attested to England being in control of the tie as possession began to tick further and further in favour of the visiting party:
A goal before the half-time break would have given Hodgson a welcome boost in Celje, but Novakovic converted a rare Slovenia chance to punish England's profligacy after 37 minutes.
James Olley of the London Evening Standard admitted the goal as being against the tide, but as far as the hosts were concerned, the scoreline told a different story:
Leaking the opener so soon before the break was a fate England dreaded, and yet their lapses in front of goal saw Slovenia take the upper hand, now at risk of suffering their first qualifying defeat.
Hodgson's words at half-time won't have signalled for a great change in approach, as England were already dominating, but more quality injected into each passage of play was required in order to cut the deficit.
Peach showed how Hodgson intended to go about chasing down the lead, with Adam Lallana's introduction in place of Phil Jones making for a big change in dynamic:
It was only minutes before the change took effect, too, as Wilshere lashed home his first from the edge of the area 12 minutes after the restart.
The goal really stood out in the eyes of the "fans," via the Telegraph:
His first was a creation of his own making, but Wilshere had Lallana to thank for his second 16 minutes later, when the Liverpool playmaker played a crucial role in giving the Three Lions their first lead.
Wilshere's value as an international midfielder has been debated over the years, but after suffering from injuries last season, Sunday's display gave him a stage to prove to any doubters he can lead this team in the future.
There was to be big drama, though, as Slovenia equalised in the 84th minute through Nejc Pecnik to pin the visitors back just when it seemed as though the party could get underway in Ljubljana.
Rooney wouldn't let the script end there, however, and a mistake among the Slovenian defence gave him his chance to fire past Handanovic on the 86th minute. BBC Sport detailed just how close he now sits to Bobby Charlton's all-time England scoring record:
Thankfully for Hodgson, there were to be no more shocks from there, and England's march toward Euro 2016 continued its triumphant momentum.
With six wins from six and victory over Group E's second-place team, England are now nine points clear at the head of the table, with Switzerland playing Lithuania later on Sunday.
A long wait rests between now and the next round of qualification fixtures in September, when England will take on San Marino and Switzerland with an opportunity to book their place in Paris next year.
Player Grades
Jack Wilshere: A
Any concerns over what Wilshere may bring to the England setup were drastically eased on Sunday, as the Arsenal midfielder shone as the game-changer among a spree of average performances.
Showing off his finishing talents with a brace, Olley was on hand to describe just how clinical Wilshere's form was in front of goal:
Not only did Wilshere put the final touches on two match-saving opportunities, but he also coped very well in managing to hold off an opposing midfield that could have overrun him.
Granted, England enjoyed a bulk of the possession to alleviate the pressure on their engine-room star, but Wilshere was nevertheless tireless in all areas.
Bojan Jokic: C+
It was a mixed afternoon for Slovenia left-back Bojan Jokic, who teed up team-mate Pecnik in the 84th minute before gifting England a chance at the death to see a result slip from sight.
Tom Williams of Agence France-Presse illustrated how the defender went from hero to villain in a matter of minutes:
Up until half-time, keeping England at bay was proving fairly fruitful, but the introduction of Lallana transformed the game, for Jokic in particular, as he found more pressure flooding his flank.
The late assist of course won't be forgotten, but Jokic will unfortunately be remembered as the man who gave Rooney his chance to save England's day.
Post-Match Reaction
As the second-placed team in Group E, Slovenia should perhaps have been expected to cause England a problem or two on their own turf, but not many would have thought Sunday's crusade would be so tough.
Talking to Sky Sports, Hodgson hailed his side for managing to emerge with three qualifying points despite conceding two equalisers, describing the day's events as two games in one:
Winning goalscorer Rooney had every right to be elated with his contribution in the dying minutes of the game, playing the kind of role one might expect of an England captain.
The Manchester United veteran acknowledged his scoring addition, but the Sun quoted Rooney as heaping credit on his team-mates for their quick reaction in the second half:
Jones' injury led Hodgson to introduce Lallana, who proved to be a crucial component in turning the tide for England, with the midfielder praising his manager's tactics:
Despite the win, England may be slightly concerned with the slow start witnessed in Celje on Sunday, a crime that bigger and better teams are more likely to expose in the future.
That being said, the team are one step closer to Euro 2016 and now have several months to reflect on what they need to improve ahead of September's slate of qualifying fixtures.
