By Daily Sports on June 16, 2016

Old rivals Germany and Poland fought a battle of attrition that ended in a goalless draw and edged both countries towards a place in the last 16 of Euro 2016 on Thursday.

The stalemate left Germany on top of Group C on goal difference with both sides on four points from two matches.

Poland's Arkadiusz Milik had the best chance when he bundled the ball wide from point-blank range early in the second-half.

Germany's Jerome Boateng complained that his side had been "too rigid", but agreed that a draw was a fair result from a tightly contested encounter.

"We can be happy with the nil-nil," Boateng said, but he criticised his side's lack of attacking punch.

"We didn't take the game to our opponents, we weren't dangerous enough and we have to improve that or we won't get far," he told ZDF.

"We've now got to make sure we win the last group game so that we go through as group winners."

Poland's superstar Robert Lewandowski was kept quiet by his Bayern Munich teammate Boateng, but was content to hold the world champions.

"We're happy with the point. We showed Germany a bit too much respect in the first half," he said.

"It's a pity that we didn't get the goal, but that's football and it's not a bad result for us."

Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge rose from the bench to score as England came from behind to defeat neighbours Wales 2-1 in Thursday's all-British Euro 2016 clash in Lens.

Just as he had in Wales's opening 2-1 win over Slovakia, Gareth Bale put Chris Coleman's side ahead with a long-range free-kick, which England goalkeeper Joe Hart could only fumble into the net.

But Vardy and Sturridge came on at halftime and after the former had equalised in the 56th minute, the latter smuggled in a stoppage-time winner that fired Roy Hodgson's men to the top of the group.

"When the chances don't go in and you've compounded your task by conceding that Gareth Bale goal, it really is a happy moment when both the substitutes score," said Hodgson.

"I thought it was on the cards all the way through the second half."

Wales are a point back in second place, above Slovakia on head-to-head record, and need to beat Russia in Toulouse on Monday to guarantee one of the two automatic qualifying berths.

"Obviously it is massively disappointing, but I am very proud of everybody," said Bale. "We keep fighting all the way."

Northern Ireland shocked Ukraine 2-0 in Euro 2016 Group C in Lyon thanks to goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout phase at Euro 2016.

A flying header from veteran West Bromwich Albion defender McAuley and McGinn's injury-time strike at a hailstone-battered Stade de Lyon gave Ireland their first ever goals at a European championships finals.

Having recovered after losing their Euro 2016 opener 1-0 to Poland, Michael O'Neill's Irish now have everything to play for against world champions Germany in their final group game on Tuesday.

McAuley also wrote himself into the history books.

At 36 years and 194 days, he is the second oldest goalscorer at a Euro finals, after Ivica Vastic, who was two years, 63 days older when he converted a penalty for Austria against Poland at Euro 2008.

The victory is just desserts for O'Neill.

The Northern Irish manager made five changes from his starting line-up after his side had failed to impose themselves on Poland, including dropping top scorer Kyle Lafferty.

O'Neill preferred to start QPR's Conor Washington as striker instead of Norwich City's Lafferty who had netted seven goals in qualifying to help the Irish reach the finals.

Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko kept faith with the majority of the side which lost 2-0 to Germany last Sunday.

The Ukrainians must now beat Poland in Marseille next Tuesday, and hope the Irish lose heavily to Germany, to have any chance of progressing.

•Culled from Supersports.com. 

Source Daily Sports

Posted June 16, 2016

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