FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS (UEFA) : ENGLAND VS SERBIA – 09/09/2025 (PHOTO – EZRI KONSA SCORES)

WHAT A FANTASTIC NIGHT FOR ENGLAND IN THEIR MATCH AGAINST SERBIA AT THE RAJKO MITIC STADIUM. WITH BOTH PRESS AND CAMERAS ALLOWED TO FOLLOW BOTH TEAMS DOWN THE BEAUTIFUL TUNNEL, WITH THE WALK SEEMING TO LAST AN ETERNITY, THEY EMERGED TO THE ROAR OF THE FEISTY FANS. AT LEAST 15% OF THE STADIUM, WAS CLOSED TO HOME FANS IN FACT, DUE TO SOME PREVIOUS ARGEY-BARGEY, BUT WITH ONE OF SERBIA’S STAR PLAYERS VLAHOVIC SAYING THAT ENGLAND SHOULD EXPECT “ONLY TO PLAY BEAUTIFUL FOOTBALL” – THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID! AND THEN SOME!

IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE TRIUMPH FOR ENGLAND, WHO MADE 588 PASSES, WITH A 91% PASS ACCURACY, (HAD 70% POSSESSION), 6 CORNERS, AND 24 SHOTS, WITH 12 ON-TARGET, INCLUDING 5 OF THOSE PROVING TO BE SUCCESSFUL GOALS! THE 1ST GOAL CAME FROM HARRY KANE’S SUPERB HEADER, (BELOW)

AFTER A FANTASTIC CROSS FROM THE CORNER FROM DECLAN RICE, AT 33 MINS., (HARRY KANE’S 74TH GOAL IN 109 INTNL’S), AND THE NEXT JUST 2 MINUTES LATER WITH A SUPERB SOLO EFFORT FROM NONI MADUEKE (HIS 1ST GOAL FOR ENGLAND) AT 35 MINS! (BELOW)

SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE GAME WAS BRIEFLY PAUSED BY REFEREE CLEMENT TURPIN AFTER A LASER PEN WAS SHONE IN EZRI KONSA’S FACE, BUT RESUMED AGAIN SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, MEANING THAT BY HALF-TIME ENGLAND WERE NOW 2 – 0 UP!

AS IT TURNED OUT, “STICKS, STONES OR LASER PENS” WILL NOT SLOW ANY OF THESE BOYS DOWN, AND ONLY SEEMED TO SPUR EZRI KONSA ON TO SCORE A BLINDER AT JUST 7 MINS. INTO THE 2ND HALF AT 52 MINS., (BELOW)

FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER CRACKER FROM MARC GUEHI AT 75 MINS., (BELOW)

AND, JUST TO FINISH THINGS OFF, MARCUS RASHFORD SCORED THE MOST SUBLIME PENALTY AFTER A SPLENDID “STUTTERING” RUN-UP (AS IS HIS WONT) AT 90 MINS! (BELOW)

SERBIA MADE 253 PASSES, WITH AN 80% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 2 CORNERS. WITH 3 SHOTS, BUT NO GOALS UNFORTUNATELY FOR THEM YESTERDAY. IT WAS ALSO QUITE A PHYSICAL MATCH, WITH 1 YELLOW-CARD-A-PIECE, AND 1 RED CARD TO NIKOLA MILENKOVIC AT 72 MINS., MEANING THAT ALL THE EXCITEMENT CULMINATED IN A 5 – 0 WIN TO ENGLAND!

BY AMANDA WATERS