England 1 Denmark 0
Daniel Sturridge struck a late header to help England avoid another disappointing result at Wembley against Denmark.
Sturridge leapt high to head home Adam Lallana’s cross with eight minutes left of what was otherwise an uninspiring 1-0 win.
This match was billed as a grand audition for England’s fringe players to prove to Roy Hodgson that they deserved a place on the plane to Brazil.
For the most part it was something of an anti-climax though, as England lacked purpose and a cutting edge in the first half in particular.
When Cesare Prandelli looks at the tape of the first 45 minutes of this encounter at Wembley, the Italy coach will hardly be quaking in his boots.
But Hodgson had always earmarked this game as one to experiment, though the first-half experiment of deploying Sturridge out wide did not work.
The striker, scorer of 32 goals in 39 games was posted out on the left wing. It was only when Sturridge was moved into the centre after the break that he had the biggest impact, and his goal was a superb poacher’s effort.
There were other positives displays too. Raheem Sterling hit a post and won the man of the match award.
Luke Shaw did not look out of place when he came off the bench to make his debut at left-back, but Ashley Cole also put in a very impressive 45 minutes as he staked a claim for a recall as first-choice full back.
ENGLAND
: Hart, Johnson, Cahill, Smalling, Cole (Shaw 46), Wilshere (Lallana 59), Henderson (Oxlade-Chamberlain 77), Gerrard, Sterling (Townsend 86), Rooney (Welbeck 60), Sturridge (Milner 88).
Subs not used:
Ruddy, Foster, Forster, Baines, Caulker, Carrick, Lampard, Barkley, Cleverley, Lambert, Defoe, Rodriguez.
DENMARK:
Schmeichel, Sloth (Zimling 62), Agger, Kjaer (Bjelland 62), Peter Ankersen, Kvist Jorgensen, Jacobsen (Juelsgaard 46), Poulsen (Olsen 81), Krohn-Delhi, Larsen (Kusk 46), Bendtner (Rasmussen 62). Subs not used: Andersen, Lossl, Kahlenberg, Delaney, Jacob Ankersen, Makienok Christoffersen. Booked: Sloth, Rasmussen.
Referee:
Kevin Blom (Netherlands)
Attendance:
68,573
