UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE : THURSDAY 14/11/2024 (PHOTO – CURTIS-JONES QUITE RIGHTLY ‘JUMPS FOR JOY’ AFTER HIS INCREDIBLE DEBUT BACKHEEL!)

IT WAS CERTAINLY A GAMBLE FOR LEE CARSLEY LAST NIGHT, AND HAD MANY SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS AS TO WHY HE WOULD CHOOSE TO LEAVE HARRY KANE ON THE BENCH, AND INSTEAD FIELD A TEAM FULL OF YOUNG STARS FOR SUCH AN IMPORTANT MATCH. (AS THE THREE LIONS KNEW A WIN BY TWO GOALS MEANT THEY WOULD TAKE CONTROL OF GROUP B2.) BUT THOSE FEARS WERE SOON ALLAYED WITHIN THE FIRST TEN MINUTES (6 MINS. 22 SECS TO BE EXACT), WHEN OLLIE WATKINS HIT THE BACK OF THE NET WITH SOME GUSTO, AFTER SUPERB PASSING FROM BELLINGHAM, TO MADUEKE, WHO COULD SEE THAT OLLIE WATKINS WAS IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT SPOT AT THE RIGHT TIME. MUCH TO THE BEMUSEMENT OF THE MOSTLY-GREEK CROWD! (OR THE REF IT SEEMED, AS HE PROCEEDED TO HAND OUT YELLOW CARDS TO BELLINGHAM, GALLAGHER AND LATER, JORDAN PICKFORD, LIKE AN OVER-ZEALOUS CROUPIER!) JORDAN PICKFORD MADE SOME SPECTACULAR SAVES DURING THE MATCH, AND JUDE BELLINGHAM TOOK THE BALL HALFWAY UP THE PITCH, STRIKING LOW, FROM QUITE A DISTANCE, STRAIGHT THROUGH THE LEGS OF SEVERAL GREEK DEFENDERS, WITH THE BALL BOUNCING OFF THE POST AND ONTO THE BACK OF VLACHODIMOS AND INTO THE BACK OF THE NET. (AN OWN GOAL FOR GREECE!) SO THEN IT WAS 2 – 0. MUCH MORE EXCITEMENT ENSUED, WITH A TOTAL OF 5 SHOTS ON TARGET FOR BOTH TEAMS, WITH ENGLAND HAVING 57% POSSESSION, 541 PASSES, WITH A PASS ACCURACY OF 90%, AND GREECE, 415 PASSES, WITH A PASS ACCURACY OF 84%, ALL WERE WAITING TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT WITHIN THIS, BY NOW, HIGHLY CHARGED, EXHILARATING MATCH, AND THEN IN THE 83 MINUTE, DEBUT BOY CURTIS JONES CASUALLY FLICKED THE BALL INTO THE BACK OF THE NET WITH A BACKHEEL, COMPLETING A SPECTACULAR EVENING FOR THE THREE LIONS, AND IT HAS TO BE SAID, REDEMPTION FOR LEE CARSLEY, WHO FOLLOWED HIS INSTINCTS WHEN CHOOSING THIS YOUNG TEAM, AND THIS TIME, IT DEFINITELY PAID OFF! MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL – WHAT FANTASTIC ENTERTAINMENT!

UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE : GREECE VS ENGLAND 14/11/2024