How it happened

Match Action

First Half

Slovakia get us underway

1' Michael Owen is put through in the inside right channel by Steven Gerrard but his right-footed shot is turned past the post by Konig for a corner.

2' England are in the mood. A clever little through ball arrived just a little too late and Owen and Wayne Rooney were both caught narrowly offside.

5' A home from home for Gareth Southgate as the Middlesbrough fans chant his name out loud.

8' Owen again is clear of the Slovakian defence and from the byline tries to delivers cross for Rooney but the young Evertonian can't get enough on the ball and the attack comes to an end.

10' Slovakia string together some nice passes and Vladimir Janocko shoots from range. David James makes an easy save.

13' Southgate runs back to tackle Demo well after Slovakia start to look dangerous down the left flank.

14' Slovakia's Robert Vittek somehow manages to evade the England defence to get in behind. His looping shot from a tight angle is only parried by James but Demo shoots wide.

15' A deep cross from Ratislav Michalik, again from the left flank - from which Slovakia are looking dangerous - comes to nothing this time as James claims well.

16': Long ball from Petras comes to nothing.

17' Rooney climbs well to head a long ball out of defence on towards Owen. The England captain then plays the ball out for Gerrard whose cross is cleared by Zabavnik.

18' The resulting corner sees Scholes play it short to Cole before knocking the ball dangerously into the area with the outside of his right foot. Michalik gets a head to it and nearly steers it in. Still 0-0...

19' Phillip Neville's cross from the right catches Owen offside.

21' Long range shots from Labant and Demo fail to trouble James.

24' Upson and Nemeth are up against each other but the young Birmingham City centre back is holding his own.

28' A cross from Danny Mills after excellent midfield play finds Owen at the far post but he can't keep his header down and it goes away for a goalkick.

31' GOAL! ENGLAND 0 SLOVAKIA 1
A cross from a dangerous position on the England left is taken by Janocko. The Slovakian no.10 curls it right-footed and the ball somehow manages to evade everyone, including James, and finds it's way inside the far post to give the visitors the lead. An almost exact replica of the Beckham goal in the match away in Bratislava.

33' England almost concede a second. Hanek connects with a swinging corner from the Slovakian right but his far post header is kept out thanks to a fine save by James.

35' Ball is played through to Rooney who can't quite reach it - Konig collects.

37' Demo should have scored. Good work down the right from Michalik got him clear and his cross fell for Demo, who had time to control the ball before amazingly shooting wide.

38' Owen goes close as he is put through. The Liverpool man doesn't have enough space to get his shot away.

38' Slovakia substitution
Ondrej Debnar for Vladimir Labant

40' Nemeth is played in beautifully but puts his shot into the side netting with only James to beat. All the chances falling for Slovakia.

44' England substitution
Owen Hargreaves for Danny Mills

Half Time:  ENGLAND 0 SLOVAKIA 1

Second Half

Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen get the half underway

46' Frank Lampard makes a break down the right only to be flagged for offside.

48' After a free kick is given for a foul on Gerrard, Scholes lashes his effort low past the right post of the Slovakian goal.

51' Lampard and Scholes combine well at speed showing great close control but Lampard fails to get a shot away. Nevertheless, a bright start from the Three Lions...

52' Foul by Zeman on Owen near the half way line.

53' So close for England.... Owen is once again put through but the referee's assistant gives the offside decision - a close call...

53' Substitution for Slovakia
Marek Mintal for Igor Demo

54' Gerrard creates a glorious chance all by himself with a mazy run across the edge of the penalty area. However, after beating four or five players and finally getting into a position where he felt comfortable shooting, he chips the ball over the crossbar.

55' Substitution for England
Darius Vassell for Wayne Rooney

60' GOAL! ENGLAND 1 SLOVAKIA 1
Penalty awarded for a foul on Michael Owen after the captain dribbled past four Slovakian defenders.  The captain himself took up the responsibility of taking the spot kick - he calmly shuffled up to the ball and dispatched a low shot to Konig's right. Great penalty and England back in the match.... 

63' Gerrard's corner from the right was played into the danger zone and it seemed as though whilst going for the ball Gareth Southgate was tugged back.  The referee, however, did not blow and play continued....

63' Slovakia booking
Yellow card to Robert Vittek for a foul on Owen Hargreaves

63' Great play from England's newly-shaped midfield.  After good interchanges with Scholes and Vassell, Frank Lampard is half played in and manages to toe-poke a shot towards goal.  His effort beats the advancing Konig but agonisingly goes past the far post.

64' Vassell's shot at the near post from Gerrard's cross is deflected over for a corner

67' Lampard has a goal disallowed for offside as he turned home from close range, despite the presence of two Slovakian defenders near the touchline - another marginal decision.

72' GOAL! ENGLAND 2 SLOVAKIA 1 
The brilliant Gerrard delivers a lovely hanging cross from the right edge of the box into the middle of the area and Michael Owen, getting goal-side of his marker, arrows a header from 10 yards inside the near post to give England the lead. Only the second time Owen has scored more than once in a game for England and on his fiftieth appearance too... superb....

74' Slovakian substitution
Lubos Reiter for Szilard Nemeth

76' England really are flying forward, backed by a magnificent Riverside Stadium crowd.  Owen again shoots for goal but Konig manages to keep the effort out.  Owen, however, followed his shot in and got a head to the ball only to see his header rebound off the bar.  Vassell then rushed in and tried to turn the loose ball home but he too was challenged well.

77' Gerrard fires a 35 yard free-kick well over the bar

78' Vassell and Lampard again work well and Lampard shoots wide.

85' Slovakia living off scraps now and their fustration is shown when Hanek just blasts an effort way wide of goal.

87' Vassell is sent clear down the right wing, beats one man before Debnar tugs him back - blatant shirt-pulling.

88' Slovakia booking
Ondrej Debnar for pulling back Darius Vassell.

89' The fourth official signals that there will be two minutes of added on time.

90' Hargreaves shoots over from range after a one-two with Ashley Cole.

90+1 Gerrard runs clear of everyone and has time to place his shot past Konig.  However the big keeper comes out, narrowing down Gerrard's options before saving well.

Full Time: ENGLAND 2  SLOVAKIA 1

Team News

The two halves of Merseyside join together at the Riverside Stadium tonight as Everton striker Wayne Rooney links up with Liverpool's Michael Owen, in his 50th game, to take on Slovakia in the vital Euro 2004 qualifier.

Elsewhere it's as you were, as Sven names an otherwise unchanged side to that that started against Serbia and Montenegro last week. Phil Neville retains his place as the holding player in the midfield diamond after a man-of-the-match display in Leicester 8 days ago, alongside Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

England's starting XI

1 David James
2 Danny Mills
3 Ashley Cole
4 Steven Gerrard
5 Matthew Upson
6 Gareth Southgate
7 Frank Lampard
8 Paul Scholes
9 Wayne Rooney
10 Michael Owen (c)
11 Phil Neville

Substitutes: 13 Paul Robinson, 12 Wayne Bridge, 14 John Terry, 15 Owen Hargreaves, 16 Joe Cole, 17 Darius Vassell, 18 Emile Heskey

Slovakia: 1 Miroslav Konig, 2 Martin Petras, 3 Michel Hanek, 4 Marian Zeman, 5 Radoslav Zabavnik, 6 Igor Demo (c), 7 Vladimir Labant, 8 Szilard Nemeth, 9 Ratislav Michalik, 10 Vladimir Janocko, 11 Robert Vittek
Substitutes: 12 Branislav Rzeszoto, 13 Miroslav Karhan, 14 Ondrej Debnar, 15 Marek Mintal, 16 Karol Kisel, 17 Lubos Reiter, 18 Jozef Kozlej

Colours: England - White, white, white; Slovakia - Blue, blue, blue

Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Ger)

Assistant Referees: Carsten Kadach, Sonke Glindemann

Fourth Official: Florian Meyer

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