England stumble out of Euro race

England’s hopes of a place in the Euro 2008 finals disappeared at Wembley on Wednesday...

England’s hopes of a place in the Euro 2008 finals disappeared at Wembley on Wednesday when they lost 3-2 to Croatia after fighting back from conceding two early goals to pull level at 2-2.

Instead of hanging on to the point that would have secured their place in Austria and Switzerland, they conceded a third goal 13 minutes from time, allowing Russia to steal into second place in Group E and qualify with Croatia.

The home crowd was stunned after eight minutes when Scott Carson, chosen in goal after making his debut in a friendly only last week, allowed a speculative shot by Niko Kranjcar to skid off him and into the net, and it looked all over when Ivica Olic doubled the lead six minutes later.

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England pulled level with a 56th-minute Frank Lampard penalty followed by a great goal by striker Peter Crouch, who expertly controlled a cross from substitute Beckham before volleying the equaliser. Croatia, though, continued to look dangerous and won it in the 77th-minute when substitute Mladen Petric lashed in a shot from the edge of the box.

Kranjcar put Croatia ahead with a curling, right-footed shot from 25 metres which Carson should have saved.

In a Croatia counter-attack six minutes later, Eduardo da Silva broke in space on the right from the halfway line and his clever through ball found Olic, who beat the offside trap, rounded Carson and stroked the ball into the empty net.

England clawed their way back with two goals in nine minutes midway through the second half. Beckham and striker Jermain Defoe came on at halftime and each had a hand in the goals.

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Referee Peter Frojdfeldt ruled that Josip Simunic had fouled Defoe after 56 minutes and awarded a penalty against the defender which Lampard converted. Beckham then created the equaliser with a perfect, trademark cross from the right which Crouch chested down before volleying wide of keeper Stipe Pletikosa. Croatia pressed for a winner and Petric delivered, his low, angled left-footed drive flying past Carson.

Over in Oporto, a goalless draw against Finland was enough for Portugal to book their ticket to the 2008 finals.

Sweden ensured their presence with a 2-1 win over Latvia which put them through as runners-up behind Group F winners Spain, 1-0 winners over Northern Ireland in Las Palmas. Norway mauled Malta 4-1 but it wasn’t enough to prevent Turkey bagging the runners-up spot behind Greece in Group C after Fatih Terim’s men defeated Bosnia 1-0.