England begin the second half with no changes on either side.the FA Cup semi-final later that season.]
Nigel Moore “I remember my dad taking my brother and me to see Sunderland play Man City at Maine Road 1953-54 when I was six. The only memory of the game I have is all the legs of the spectators but afterwards trying to play like Len Shackleton who was the big star then.”
Dave Radmore “I’m the anecdotal proof that hosting a summer tournament creates new fans. After the joy and ultimate disappointment of the Euro 96 summer, I was invited to go along to the opening match of the season at Cambridge United by a friend. They won 1-0, couldn’t tell you who they played [Barnet – ed], and I was immediately hooked for 30 years of pretty much abject misery with the occasional bright spot, and wouldn’t change a thing.”
Darren “I haven’t been to that many matches (five) so I can remember every one. My first was as a glory-hunting Liverpool fan in London. My mum asked if I wanted to see them play her team Arsenal at Highbury. I was ten, and this sounded like a great idea. We were in the East Stand, near to the North, and I couldn’t see a thing. Just as well, my beloved ‘Pool got tonked 3-1, and I only knew about the late consolation goal thanks to commentary from my mother.”
[I think that was September 1984]
John Parry “18 September 18 1971. George Best hat trick! United 4-2 West Ham. One of the many things I have to thank my dear departed dad for. The ITV cameras were there…”
Thanks for sending in your memories of your first live game. I’m afraid I didn’t have time to go through them all, mainly because it looked like England were going to get a red card as half-time approached.
Well that wasn’t great. England were frustrated by a superbly organised, occasionally niggly Ireland side and didn’t manage a single shot on target. The half-time whistle comes at a good time for England, who were starting to lose their rag.
As things stand England are still going to win Group B2, but that’s only because Greece are also drawing in Finland.
45+3 min: It’s kicking off! Molumby tries to block Kane, who throws him to the canvas, at which point some players on both sides get involved. Both players are booked.
45 min Three minutes of added time. There still hasn’t ben a shot on target.
43 min And now Scales has been booked for some off-the-ball nonsense.
42 min That frustration I was talking about: Bellingham has also been booked, presumably for dissent.
41 min O’Dowda turns the tables on Madueke, who brings him down and is booked. England are getting increasingly frustrated.
39 min Kane overruns the ball slightly, allowing Scales to make an empathic and entirely fair man-and-ball challenge. The Ireland fans enjoyed that.
38 min Hall’s chipped cross is diverted to Madueke, whose off-balance shot is blocked. Hall has arguably been England’s best player in the first half.
36 min Szmodics, back on the field, wants a penalty after going down in the England area. For a split-second it looked like he would be through on goal after a long pass by O’Shea (I think), but Walker stooped to get a crucial headed touch back to Pickford.
36 min Bellingham slashes a half-volley well wide with his left foot. Ireland have done a really good job on England so far.
35 min I’m happy to say it looks like that was a false alarm – he’s ready to come back on the field. The way he fell looked horrible, slightly reminiscent of Simon Jones’ awful injury in the 2002-03 Ashes.
33 min Sammie Szmodics is down with what looks like a nasty injury. His foot got stuck in the turf, with nobody else near him, and he immediately started punching the ground in pain. This looks serious I’m afraid; it could be ligament damage.
30 min England take a short corner to Bellingham, who plays an imaginative give-and-go with Madueke and then drags a cross on the turn well wide. The angle was far too tight by the time he got to the ball, but it was a nice idea.
29 min Madueke appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty when his close-range shot is blocked by Scales.
27 min Lewis Hall makes a good run behind the defence on the left and drives a dangerous low cross that is booted away at the near post by Collins.
25 min Not much is happening. You’d expect England to break Ireland down eventually but they haven’t managed a shot on target so far. The one save Kelleher made was from a Madueke cross in the fifth minute.
22 min Guehi and Ferguson grab one another’s shirts in the penalty area, a tactic that is more risky for Guehi. Again the referee isn’t interested, but the Irish fans are loudly affronted when it comes up on the big screen.
22 min Thanks for sending in your memories of your first football match. I’ll collate as many as I can and publish them at half-time.
21 min Ebosele goes on a winding run from right to left before going over just outside the area. He thought he was fouled by Livramento, the referee did not.
19 min England continue to probe, though it’s not easy to find an eye in the needle – as I type Ireland have all 10 outfield players within 25 yards of their own goal.
16 min England are on top but it hasn’t been one-way traffic, and overall I suspect qualified dentist Heimir Hallgrimsson will be happy with how Ireland have started.
13 min Walker is playing the role at centre-back at both ends. He is first to another Madueke corner, but this time he gets ahead of the ball and can only head it whence it came.
11 min Bellingham rakes a shot from 20 yards is that blocked by Cullen. England have started well, particularly through Madueke on the right.
10 min “My first game was, I think, Spurs 6-0 Slovan Bratislava (6-2 on aggregate) in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963,” writes Jon Scott. “My second game, though it’s possible I have mixed the order, was Spurs 6-2 Man United. Those were the good old days. That 6-2 scoreline in both helps me remember.”
I’d have to double check but from memory I think it was Man Utd first, on 24 October 1962, with the Slovan Bratislava game on 14 March 1963.
7 min Ebosele barrels thrillingly down the right, away from Jones, but Guehi steps across to make a well-judged interception.
6 min “Rather fitting that Lee Carsley signs out on his pretty successful England tenure with a match against Ireland, the team he played for,” says Colum Fordham. “He’s been understated, imaginative, at times to the point of recklessness, but has not put too many steps wrong. Say ‘aah’!”
Republic of Ireland also make three changes from their win over Finland. Luton’s Mark McGuinness makes his debut in defence, with Dara O’Shea and Jayson Molumby also coming into the side. Matt Doherty, Jason Knight and Mikey Johnston drop out, which probably means a switch to a back five.
England (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Livramento, Walker, Guehi, Hall; Gallagher, Jones; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
Substitutes: Henderson, Trafford, Lewis, Gibbs-White, Gomes, Quansah, Harwood-Bellis, Watkins, Rogers, Bowen, Solanke.
Republic of Ireland (possible 5-4-1) Kelleher; O’Shea, McGuinness, Collins, Scales, O’Dowda; Ebosele, Cullen, Molumby, Szmodics; Ferguson.
Substitutes: O’Leary, Travers, Doherty, Parrott, Johnston, O’Brien, Moran, Azaz, Manning, Coventry, McAteer, Cannon.
Referee Erik Lambrechts (Belgium).
Republic of Ireland at Wembley. The Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson may be a qualified dentist, but Lee Carsley’s spell as interim England manager has been more like a trip to the dentist. Okay, it’s had enough in common for a half-arsed analogy. We spent much of the time wincing, whining and worrying, only to belatedly realise it was far less painful than we feared and we’re in a healthier state than we were beforehand.
If England beat the Republic of Ireland at Wembley this evening, they will win Group B2 and return to – ludicrous phrase alert – the Nations League top table. In fact all they need to do is match Greece’s result in Finland, so victory may not be essential.
History will probably be kind to Carsley, who put his big bald head in the firing line for the greater good. He balanced the present and future almost perfectly, getting the results needed while conducting various fact-finding missions that will make Thomas Tuchel’s life easier when he takes over in the new year.
All of the above will be hastily deleted if England make a Horlicks of this afternoon’s game. But let’s not go back to the dentist’s waiting room just yet.
Kick off 5pm.
Source: theguardian.com
