Euro 2016: Group Results, Standings, Tables and Updated Schedule After Thursday

Daniel Sturridge and Jamie Vardy came off the bench to salvage England's UEFA Euro 2016 campaign by both netting second-half goals to beat Wales 2-1 in a crucial Group B match in Lens, France, on Thursday.

On the same day Northern Ireland recorded a first-ever win at these championships by beating Ukraine 2-0 in Lyon, Germany and Poland each missed the chance to qualify after playing out a stale 0-0 draw in Saint-Denis, the first goalless game of the tournament.

A static England fell behind following Gareth Bale's magnificent long-range free-kick in the first half, and the Three Lions needed an infusion of pace and scoring instincts to rouse a sluggish performance.

Vardy obliged first, before Sturridge poked home the winner in injury time. It's a goal that marks the first time England have turned around a half-time deficit to win at a major international tournament, per OptaJoe.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

It's also taken England to the top of the group. Qualification and top spot can now be assured with victory over Slovakia on Monday.

Here are the full results from Thursday's matches:

Group	Teams	Score	Team
B	England	2-1	Wales
C	Ukraine	0-2	Northern Ireland
C	Germany	0-0	Poland

Here's what those results mean for the tables in Groups B and C:

Nation	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goal Difference	Points
England	2	1	1	0	1	4
Slovakia	2	1	0	1	0	3
Wales	2	1	0	1	0	3
Russia	2	0	1	0	-1	2

Nation	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goal Difference	Points
Germany	1	1	1	0	2	4
Poland	1	1	1	0	1	4
Northern Ireland	2	1	0	1	1	3
Ukraine	2	0	0	2	-4	0

For a look at the full standings for the tournament, visit the official website.

Recap

A muggy first half between England and Wales was enlightened by Bales's set-piece brilliance. Before that, both sides had struggled to muster much of an attacking threat, as this statistic from BBC Sport showed:

Still, England felt aggrieved not to be given a penalty when a close-range Harry Kane header appeared to hit Ben Davies' hand. BBC Match of the Day offered a snapshot of the contentious incident:

Yet the Three Lions came even closer to a goal earlier in the half when Raheem Sterling was put through after fine work from Kane and Adam Lallana. But the hugely disappointing Manchester City winger fluffed his lines when it appeared easier to score:

An indifferent display saw Sterling take the brunt of criticism, both in the stands and on social media. Writer David Schneider tweeted this sarcastic lament of Sterling's performance in the first half:

Meanwhile, BBC Sport's Phil Ornstein noted how the England supporters in Lens were becoming irritated by Sterling's struggles:

As Sterling failed to make an impression, Kevin Palmer of the Sunday World was prompted to doubt the winger's credentials as a top player:

There were similar questions asked about Joe Hart when the England goalkeeper was beaten by Bale from considerable distance. Hart had dived a fraction late and could only palm Bale's long-range effort into his net, per Squawka:

As WhoScored.com detailed, calamities have become common for Hart in recent seasons:

By contrast, a second successful free-kick in a row meant Bale joined some select company at this tournament, according to Match of the Day:

England were reeling at the break, but manager Roy Hodgson made the right decision with a pair of proactive substitutions, introducing strikers Sturridge and Vardy. It was the latter who rewarded the manager's bravery early in the second half when he turned smartly in the box and finished coolly to equalise.

OptaJean broke down Vardy's stunning record at international level:

England continued to boss possession for most of the second half, but clear-cut chances were few. As for Wales, they struggled to play effectively and efficiently on the break with not enough incisive runs off the ball or astute passes from midfield.

Sturridge delivered his memorable moment in the 91st minute, threading home a smart finish amid a crowded box.

Overall, England deserved the win for taking the game to a Wales side merely content to sit deep and break. Hodgson also merits credit for how he went attack-heavy at the crucial moment, even if he should've opened things up a little earlier.

Speaking of the need to open things up, neither Germany nor Poland could manage it during a drab affair at the Stade de France. Chances were in short supply for the best finishers on the pitch, Poland's Robert Lewandowski and German forward Thomas Muller.

It meant the Bayern Munich teammates had to look on with contrasting emotions as the best chances fell to Pole Arkadiusz Milik, who proceeded to spurn them all.

The Ajax attacker couldn't tap into an open goal at the start of the second half, nor could he make contact inside the box with less than 20 minutes to play.

Still, ITV found some humour in yet another Milik miss:

But Stefan Bienkowski of DW Sports couldn't see the funny side and lamented Milik's profligacy at the tournament:

Still, poor finishing and generally aimless approach play from both sides didn't stop former Germany and Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann from believing there would be goals eventually, per BBC Radio 5 live Sport:

Yet, Lehmann's words didn't prove prophetic as a combination of stout defending and sluggish attacking play contrived to keep things goalless. The competition's official site confirmed the first 0-0 of the tournament.

Niall McGinn scored in stoppage time to seal an historic win for Northern Ireland after West Bromwich Albion centre-back Gareth McAuley had headed his nation in front early in the second half.

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Aberdeen winger McGinn pounced after playmaker Stuart Dallas saw his shot saved down low by Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov. McGinn's finish capped a thoroughly professional display from Northern Ireland, one full of brave defending, quick counters and solid possession in some rough weather conditions.

It's still going to be tough for manager Michael O'Neill's men to progress ahead Poland and World Champions Germany, despite the latter pair's lacklustre showings tonight.