Vardy, Sturridge rescue England against Wales

England’s Daniel Sturridge celebrates with Marcus Rashford after scoring a goal.

AFP: LENS: Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge rose from the bench to score as England came from behind to defeat neighbours Wales 2-1 in Thursday’s (16) all-British Euro 2016 clash in Lens.

Just as he had in Wales’s opening 2-1 win over Slovakia, Gareth Bale put Chris Coleman’s side ahead with a long-range free-kick that England goalkeeper Joe Hart could only fumble into the net.

But Vardy and Sturridge came on at half-time and after the former had equalised in the 56th minute, the latter smuggled in a stoppage-time winner that fired Roy Hodgson’s men to the top of the group.

“When the chances don’t go in and you’ve compounded your task by conceding that Gareth Bale goal, it really is a happy moment when both the substitutes score,” said Hodgson. “I thought it was on the cards all the way through the second half.”

Wales are a point back in second place, above Slovakia on head-to-head record, and need to beat Russia in Toulouse on Monday to guarantee one of the two automatic qualifying berths.

“Obviously it is massively disappointing, but I am very proud of everybody,” said Bale. “We keep fighting all the way.”

A draw against Slovakia in Saint-Etienne will suffice for England and they will approach the game with renewed optimism after belatedly kicking their tournament into gear.

It was the 102nd meeting between the teams, but the first at a major championship, and the boxy, British-style Stade Bollaert-Delelis provided an ideal setting on a day when fears of fan violence failed to materialise.

Northern Ireland shock Ukraine in Euro 2016

AFP (Lyon): Northern Ireland shocked Ukraine 2-0 in Euro 2016 Group C on Thursday (Jun 16) thanks to goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout phase at Euro 2016.

A flying header from veteran West Bromwich Albion defender McAuley and McGinn’s injury-time strike at a hailstone-battered Stade de Lyon gave Ireland their first ever goals at a European championships finals.

Having recovered after losing their Euro 2016 opener 1-0 to Poland, Michael O’Neill’s Irish now have everything to play for against world champions Germany in their final group game on Tuesday.

McAuley also wrote himself into the history books. At 36 years and 194 days, he is the second oldest goalscorer at a Euro finals, after Ivica Vastic, who was two years, 63 days older when he converted a penalty for Austria against Poland at Euro 2008.

The victory is just desserts for O’Neill. The Northern Irish manager made five changes from his starting line-up after his side had failed to impose themselves on Poland, including dropping top scorer Kyle Lafferty.

O’Neill preferred to start QPR’s Conor Washington as striker instead of Norwich City’s Lafferty who had netted seven goals in qualifying to help the Irish reach the finals.

Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko kept faith with the majority of the side which lost 2-0 to Germany last Sunday. The Ukrainians must now beat Poland in Marseille next Tuesday, and hope the Irish lose heavily to Germany, to have any chance of progressing. 

It was an impressive display from Northern Ireland, who fought their way back into the game. They had struggled for first-half possession – winning just 35% in the first 45 minutes.

The Green Army will now make their way to Paris’ Parc de Prince buoyed before they face Joachim Loew’s Germany.

Northern Ireland fan collapses and dies during Ukraine game

Reuters: A Northern Ireland fan collapsed and died during their 2-0 win over Ukraine at Euro 2016 on Thursday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.

“The man, in his sixties, collapsed in the upper part of the ground and was treated by paramedics but they were unable to revive him,” a PSNI statement said. The man is the second Northern Ireland fan to die during the tournament after Darren Rodgers, from Ballymena, fell eight metres to his death on Monday after landing on his head on a stone beach having scaled a seafront railing in Nice.

The stadium was filled with Northern Ireland fans who had travelled to France to watch their country’s first major finals since the 1986 World Cup.

The supporters had earlier applauded the 24-year-old Rodgers’ memory during the 24th minute of Thursday’s match.