Joe Cole's sublime volley against Sweden in 2006 has been voted in top ten England goals

Joe Cole’s dipping volley against Sweden in Cologne’s Rhein Energie Stadium in 2006 has been voted into the fans’ top ten best England goals.

Late last year we asked fans via our official England Facebook page to choose their favourite Three Lions strikes. The then Chelsea midfielder’s goal, scored from 25 yards, has been voted in at number five.

It was England’s third and final Group B fixture at the World Cup Finals in Germany. Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team had won their first two Finals matches for the first time for 24 years and had managed to keep clean sheets in both.

England hadn’t beaten Sweden in any match, competitive or friendly, since 1968 – but they only needed a draw in Cologne to finish top and avoid an immediate clash with their German hosts.

The Three Lions’ start was calamitous, as Michael Owen was stretchered off after injuring a knee in the first minute, but England then took control. Cole’s goal gave them the lead on 34 minutes and was surely a candidate for ‘Goal of the Tournament’.

He chested down Jonson’s clearance to send in a spinning volley that Swedish ‘keeper Isaksson could only help into the net. A 45,000 crowd inside the stadium and 21m watching the drama on TV knew they had seen something special.

It was no more than the former West Ham man deserved in a hugely impressive first-half display.

Sweden fought back after the break and equalised within six minutes, Allback’s header from Linderoth’s corner looping into the far corner despite Ashley Cole’s attempt to hack the ball clear.

Steven Gerrard, on as a substitute, headed England in front again five minutes from time and must have thought he had become the first Englishman to notch a winner against the Swedes in four decades.

Henrik Larsson forced home a last-minute leveller at 2-2 but Joe Cole’s super strike had helped England to get that precious point. They went on to lose to Portugal on penalties in the quarter finals.

Cole didn’t immediately appreciate the significance of his goal. Much later he said: “I hadn’t thought of it as a career-defining moment but now when people think of me in an England shirt they think of that goal”.

The top ten, so far…

5. Joe Cole v Sweden (June 2006)
6. John Barnes, v Brazil (June 1984)
7. David Platt, v Belgium (June 1990)
8. Geoff Hurst's second, v West Germany (July 1966)
9. Steven Gerrard, v Germany (September 2001)
10. Danny Welbeck, v Sweden (June 2012)

Next week we'll unveil which goal you voted for as no.4 in England's best.