Sloppy goalkeeping helped Lallana score his first England goal in his 27th global after his shot went through Matus Kozacik’s legs.
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Adam Lallana scored a 95th minute victor for Sam Allardyce’s side in Trnava after Slovak centre-back Martin Skrtel was dismissed for two bookable offenses on Tottenham striker Harry Kane, forcing to hosts to play the final 33 minutes with 10 men. Rooney is adamant there has been too much scrutiny of his role.
“I am using his experience to its maximum and encouraging him to play very well, which I thought he did”.
“Of course, they will always prefer the stronger team”.
Rooney is now his country’s most capped outfield player, ahead of David Beckham, and is just nine games away from equalling goalkeeper Peter Shilton’s record of 125 England caps.
“It was a good battle up there and we created some good chances, I had some half-chances that on another day could have sneaked in but overall I was happy with the way things went”. “I can’t stop Wayne playing there”.
He said after the match: “It’s been a long time coming”.
In fairness, England looked a bit better once they were faced with just 10-men behind the ball as opposed to 11. “We aren’t going to make a big deal of it, are we?”
Relief was the over-riding emotion in the dressing room following England’s last-gasp victory over Slovakia in their World Cup qualifier, according to John Stones.
Allardyce, who succeeded Roy Hodgson after Euro 2016, said the winning goal was “richly deserved”, but admitted it had come as a “huge relief”.
Mueller scrambled in the opener in the 15th minute after his first attempt was blocked by Even Hovland and Havard Nordtveit before heading in his second on the hour. In between, he produced a superb pass to set up Joshua Kimmich for his first global goal.
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England has the early edge in Group F after Slovenia fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Lithuania.
