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Live Commentary: England 1-0 Belgium - as it happened

:Headline: Live Commentary: England 1-0 Belgium - as it happened: ID:29473: from db_amp
Sports Mole's live text coverage of England's final warm-up game before the European Championships against Belgium.

Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of England's friendly against Belgium at Wembley.

This is the final chance for Roy Hodgson's men to impress their new boss before the first game in Euro 2012 against France next Monday.

Belgium, who didn't qualify for the Euros, will provide a stern challenge, boasting a young team full of talent.

(Please refresh this page for the latest updates)

FULL-TIME: England 1-0 Belgium

So it's another narrow victory for England. They were provided with a much tougher test than Norway by Belgium, who, in all honesty could have found the net tonight, coming closest with Gillet's rasper that struck the post. England also struck the woodwork through Defoe but the game was settled by Welbeck delightful dink in the 36th minute. Next up is France in Donetsk on Monday, June 11. Sports Mole will be covering that game, along with all the other Euro 2012 matches this month.

90+4 min: Another Belgium opportunity as Fellaini breaks clear and tries to find Lukaku free in the middle. The forward is offside though and the chance comes to nothing. Just about over at Wembley.

90+3 min: Dembele finds Lukaku with a searching ball and the Chelsea man lays to Fellaini who forces Hart into a smart stop low to his left.

90+2 min: Chadli has the ball in the area and works some space on his left foot before blasting straight at Hart.

90+1 min: Defoe hits the side netting after Walcott nipped in to steal the ball. The Arsenal man's pass was a little strong and Defoe could only find the wrong side of the net going away from goal.

89 min: England earn a free kick on the right and Rooney whips over a dangerous delivery that Belgium manage to clear.

87 min: Gillet's deep cross is met by Fellaini but he can't generate power on the header and it bounces wide.

85 min: Johnson makes a mess of clearing Chadli's cross and Belgium have a corner. Vertonghen has a free header but he can't keep it down.

84 min: Another change as Hodgson gives late call-up Henderson a run out, he replaces Gerrard in the centre of midfield.

82 min: ENGLAND HIT THE POST! Substitute Defoe rattles the inside of Mignolet's right-hand post. After shifting on to his right foot in the area. Up the other end Hazard cuts inside to make space but can only fire over.

81 min: Belgium look to counter attack as Hazard fizzes in to Fellaini. The Everton man takes a touch before lashing towards goal, it's well blocked though as England survive again.

78 min: BELGIUM HIT THE POST! Oh so close for the visitors as defender Gillet smacks a half-volley against the outside of Hart's upright. Great technique from the right-back.

76 min: Lukaku collects the ball in the area but Cole doesn't let the big forward work space, blocking the attempted shot. Lescott's shirt is very bloody becasue of a cut on the right eyebrow and Rooney fills in at right-back while the Everton defender receives treatment.

75 min: Rooney finds Defoe's run but the Spurs striker's cutback can't find Gerrard.

73 min: Hazard has a go from distance but he slips and the ball dribbles wide of the far post. This is classic England at the moment, get a first-half goal and sit back on the lead. It's not enthralling but if it gets us far at the Euros there'll be no one complaining.

72 min: Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku is on in place of Mertens.

71 min: Rooney almost slips in Walcott but it's well cut out by Vertonghen.

70 min: Jagielka will have 20 minutes or so as he comes on for Terry.

66 min: Further England changes see a blonde Jermain Defoe replace Young while Theo Walcott takes the place of Arsenal teammate Oxlade-Chamberlain.

65 min: More patience from Belgium again ends in disappointment as Mertens's centre is straight at Hart.

61 min: Couple of chances for the Belgians as first Hazard tries a curler into the far corner before Fellaini has a shot saved by Hart.

59 min: Visitors Belgium make their first change as Mirallas is replaced by FC Twente's Nacer Chadli.

58 min: The Ox takes a blow to the face from Fulham's Dembele as he tried to break clear down the left. I reckon he'll come off soon.

55 min: News just coming out that Cahill is having a precautionary x-ray on his jaw at Wembley.

53 min: Wayne Rooney's replaces goalscorer Danny Welbeck, who'll be happy with his contribution for sure. Rooney remember can't play in the opening two group games against France and Sweden. Welbeck heads straight down the tunnel for some reported treatment on a troublesome ankle.

51 min: Vertonghen cuts in onto his weaker right foot and it shows as the left-back slices into the stand.

49 min: The Ox breaks clear down the left but his cross is disappointing and doesn't find a man in the middle.

47 min: Vertonghen blocks a Johnson cross and England have an early corner in the second 45. Young takes but it doesn't beat the first man.

46 min: Second half is underway at Wembley.

18.16: Bobby Charlton (106 caps), Peter Shilton (125) and David Beckham (115) have UEFA recongition presented to them by FA chairman David Bernstein. Beckham tells ITV that his favourite game was the Greece qualifier when he scored that free kick.

HALF-TIME: England 1-0 Belgium

So England lead at the break, perhaps undeservedly so but Welbeck's delicate finish and first goal for the national team was class. It's likely that this is the way Hodgson will play at the Euros, the strongest area of the team is arguably the defence and England are operating on the back foot, even at home. Back in 15.

45 min: England press high up the pitch through Welbeck and the ball ricochets up to Milner, who finds Young before Gerrard has space on the edge of the area. The Liverpool man's low first-time shot is blocked on the line by Simons before a second attempt is also blocked. Belgium eventually manage to scramble the ball away.

44 min: Welbeck drives at Simons after Cole nips in to win the ball from Fellaini. The Manchester United man can't repeat his heroics from minutes ago and gets outnumbered in the area.

40 min: Hazard has a pop from long range but it's straight at Hart who gathers with ease.

39 min: It's much louder now but it's Belgium who again get the ball down with Everton's Fellaini earning a corner. Hazard's delivery is good but Terry gets up to head away.

36 min: GOAL! WELBECK PUTS ENGLAND AHEAD!

England probably don't deserve it but they're one up. Belgium lose possession as Gerrard intercepts. Young looks up and slides in Welbeck whose finish is sublime, dinking over Mignolet to liven the Wembley crowd. Top finish.

35 min: The Ox has his head in his hands after out-tricking himself on the touchline.

34 min: Belgium manage to look so much more dangerous as Vertonghen crosses long. England don't seem to be able to get the ball up near the area.

32 min: Young looks to break away but he's brought down just inside the Belgium half. Nothing comes of the free kick.

31 min: Potential Chelsea teammate Cole lunges in on Hazard. Welcome to England, Eden.

30 min: Parker's booked for a late challenge on Vertonghen, not a nice one.

28 min: ITV's touchline reporter says that Cahill was taken off as a precautionary measure. Hopefully he won't be another absentee, if he can perform like he did in the Champions League final then he should be starting at the Euros.

26 min: Johnson scythes down Mertens, who rolls around so theatrically it's funny. Hazard swings over the resulting free kick and Fellaini almost gets a toe to it before it is lashed clear.

23 min: Belgium come close as Mertens is found down the left, he lays to Witsel on the edge of the area and the Benfica midfielder smacks an effort inches over Hart's bar. The City keeper seemed very confident that was going over but it was so, so close.

21 min: Not sure why Cahill's been taken off there, he seemed fine. Maybe a loose tooth or something like that because of the clash with Hart.

19 min: Cahill's been forced off here and Lescott takes his place. Mertens was correctly booked for the blatant push.

17 min: Belgium have the ball in the net but it's been rightly disallowed as Mertens shoved Cahill into Hart with the two players colliding head-on. There's a small delay in play as Cahill is attended to.

14 min: Welbeck beats the offside trap and holds play up before laying back to the Ox. Much better strike but it rises and curves away from Mignolet's goal, he probably should have looked up and tried to find a teammate.

13 min: Patient play from Belgium on the edge of the area ends when Mertens tries to make the killer pass but gets it all wrong.

8 min: And there's a big chance for the Ox. Milner has space down the right and his fizzed pull-back falls to the Arsenal man in plenty of space. He makes a horrible mess of the chance by slipping and kicking the ball against his standing foot.

7 min: Better from England as Oxlade-Chamberain (who I will be referring to as the Ox) gets his first run at Gillet and beats him with ease before running into the next man.

5 min: Belgium continue to look more imposing and Hazard runs at the England defence before Mirallas earns a corner.

4 min: England are being a little wasteful early on, can't give the ball away like that in the Euros.

3 min: Hazard's had a few early touches and looks comfortable. He's under a great deal of scrutiny today, likewise Vertonghen, who has been heavily linked with Spurs.

1 min: Belgium get us underway.

17.15: Hazard gets a taste of English hostility as he is booed when being announced to the stadium.

17.13: All eleven players sing God Save The Queen, the final handshakes follow and we're just about ready to go.

17.12: Another tweet from Ferdinand: "Excited to see how the Oxlade plays, young talent. Witsel for me will be a top player in the next few yrs too. #Talent"

17.11: National anthem time and the Belgians have a US-style hand on heart procedure.

17.09: Chris Kamara's charity single for the Euros comes to an end and Gerrard and Vermaelen lead their boys onto the Wembley turf.

17.08: There's an absolutely cracking set of royal lookalikes in the crowd. The Camilla dead ringer was particularly impressive.

17.06: Here are the players in the tunnel, many know each from the Premier League and there's plenty of handshakes all round.

17.01: Rio Ferdinand tweets "Welbeck will score", the left-out defender showing his support for his Manchester United teammate there.

16.56: Some breaking team change has just been revealed. Man City's title-winning captain Kompany has been injured in the warm up and is replaced by Timmy Simons. Arsenal's Vermaelen takes up the Belgium armband.

16.54: One interesting thing about the game today is that Hawk Eye is be trialled on the goal-lines. It means black netting for the Wembley goals.

16.50: I reckon this is Hodgson's number one back four. Cahill, Terry and Cole will have a familiarity from Chelsea while Johnson provides a good attacking outlet down the right.

16.47: The teamsheets have been released and Hodgson has started both Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. For the visitors, Eden Hazard, who is expected to finalise a move to Chelsea, starts alongside Premier League players Vincent Kompany, Simon Mignolet, Marouane Fellaini, Thomas Vermaelen and Moussa Dembele. See the full lineups here.

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last updated article - 2012-06-03 07:28:12:
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