England grab last-gasp win against 10-man Slovakia

Joshua Kimmich doubled Germany’s tally just before the half with a well-struck hit across Jairstein after a fine set-up from Muller at the edge of the box. We had to wait for 95 minutes of an often turgid match in Trnava, but three months after Hodgson’s England failed to break down Slovakia at Euro 2016 and had to settle for a 0-0 draw, Allardyce’s stewardship of nearly exactly the same squad brought a 1-0 win.

“A father of a son in a wheelchair came to the hotel in the morning and asked if it was okay to have a picture with his son”.

“I have no problem playing there and I thought I contributed to the game”.

“We are very annoyed to have let these three points slip away from us like this”. It’s not for me to say where he’s going to play. It’s got us a last-minute victor. “I wonder how far it will take us”.

Allardyce was bemoaning the decision-making of the referee soon after, when Serbian official Milorad Mazic ended advantage to award a free-kick with Sterling having been fed through on goal just as he blew his whistle.

But Allardyce did see his side work a promising move early on when Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker teamed up on the right before Slovakia cleared the cross. It was a turgid England performance reminiscent of Roy Hodgson’s final game in charge – the loss to Iceland in the round of 16 at the European Championship in June. Slovakia, nonetheless, looked comfortable until Skrtel, already booked for a first-half challenge on Kane, brought down his studs on the same player.

Sloppy goalkeeping helped Lallana score his first England goal in his 27th global after his shot went through Matus Kozacik’s legs.

While it was a special day for Rooney as he set another national record, Adam Lallana celebrated his first senior goal for his country. I put pressure on myself to score goals.

“It was pretty nerve-racking at the end because the 10 men scenario meant we must win”, Allardyce told ITV.

“It was hard to break them down. but we got what we deserved”. “Adam scored the goal to get us off to an excellent start (in the campaign)”.

Captain Wayne Rooney, starting in a midfield role in his landmark 116th cap as he becomes England’s most-capped outfield player in history, was guilty of wasting possession on several occasions as striker Harry Kane showed no signs of ending his goal drought. “That’s where Sam wanted me to play”, explained Rooney, who has been operating behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic for United this season. We stuck to our plan and kept our shape. Two Malta players – Jonathan Caruana and Luke Gambin – were also sent off in the second half for fouling Snodgrass.

Chris Martin gave Scotland the lead eight minutes after the break. Snodgrass completed his treble after substitute Steven Fletcher netted, while Gambin saw red in stoppage time.

Fedor Chernykh and Vykintas Slivka scored within two minutes of each other, but it wasn’t enough as Lithuania held to a 2-2 draw against Slovenia.