HISTORY will have to wait. The search for an opening victory at a European Championship goes on, but England successfully altered the perception that they will be pushovers here.
Having finished dead on their feet, the searing heat doing as much to sap their strength as France did, it seems strange to suggest that Roy Hodgson’s side could leave the Donbass Arena with a spring in their step.
Yet this result represents a base from which England, who briefly took the lead through Joleon Lescott in the first half, can build to better things in Group D – a platform to reach the quarter-finals. The outcome was the same as the first match at the World Cup in South Africa, though the parallels should end there.
England retreated from that draw against the USA deflated, but now there is cause for reasoned optimism as Hodgson’s drills took hold to create a supremely organised unit, which included eight players making major tournament debuts. The blueprint is not complex, but will eventually play to England’s assets.
 Yet this was not to be Euro 2004, when France snatched victory at the death  |
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They will be hard to beat and then hope that when Wayne Rooney – who was jumping out of his seat in the stand as the contest ebbed and flowed – is back from suspension he will sprinkle some stardust.
A contest which hinged on key contributions from a posse of Manchester City players, as Samir Nasri cancelled out Lescott’s opener by beating Joe Hart from 20 yards, threw up some intriguing statistics.
France dominated possession with 634 passes to England’s 307 – of which 136 were made after the interval. Hodgson will require more than the 40 days and 40 nights that he had been in the job up to the eve of this encounter to rectify those old failings. Still, the England manager has revealed himself to be bolder than many imagined and the decision to start with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 18, showed a willingness to experiment even when it was crucial not to lose.
The teenager impressed in flashes, his eagerness to take on opponents offering some cutting edge. He deserves credit, along with James Milner, for his work-rate in ensuring Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker were not overrun in midfield.
France’s riches lay in their attack and behind the triumvirate of Nasri, Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery there was a flakiness to them that would have appealed to Hodgson’s gameplan. The movement of Danny Welbeck and Ashley Young gave Philippe Mexes and Adil Rami a headache and, with Yohan Cabaye and Florent Malouda better going forward than when adhering to defensive drills, there was scope for England to cause problems.
That they were made to wait for a reward owed everything to the wayward finishing of Milner.
He had perfectly timed a run from right to left, bursting between Mexes and Patrice Evra, to latch on to Young’s astute pass.
But after rounding goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in one graceful movement, Milner failed to wrap his left foot around the ball and found the side-netting instead of a gaping goal.
It was a bad miss, soothed only by the fact the next time uncertainty reared in the opposition ranks it was punished. Gerrard, whose passing had been clinical and efficient from the start, stood over a free-kick wide on England’s right and whipped over a cross that screamed for someone to attack it.
That it was Lescott who rose with most menace, brushing aside the powder-puff challenge of Alou Diarra, underlined the growing confidence a diligent start had engendered.
A downward header from six yards powered beyond the exposed Lloris for his first international goal.
The response from the French to slipping behind was as ferocious as the pitch-side temperatures.
Nasri curled a dangerous free-kick into the penalty area and Diarra sought to make amends, but was thwarted by an outstanding reflex save by Joe Hart. The importance of Hart to the cause is not in dispute, though given the sky-high standards he sets for himself he will harbour a sense of disappointment that he did not keep out the equaliser, despite seemingly being unsighted by Gerrard and Parker.
Evra and Ribery were allowed to work an opening too easily on the right beyond the flat-footed Milner and Glen Johnson and teed up the lurking Nasri.
One touch and he bent a clever shot into the near corner with laser-like precision before heading in the direction of the England bench, a finger to his lips.
It later emerged that his celebration was apparently intended for the French press, who have criticised him for leading delegations over match bonuses.French coach Laurent Blanc could feel short-changed that, despite England’s tough-as-teak mentality, his own players were not more incisive at the end.
Cabaye’s shot was sneaking into the corner until Welbeck flicked out his heel and deflected the ball behind, before Gerrard blocked Benzema’s attempt to curl another effort beyond Hart.
Yet this was not to be Euro 2004, when France snatched victory at the death, all over again.
Indeed, had Mexes not been perfectly positioned, Milner’s low centre could have reached Welbeck and the roles of that opening match eight years ago would have been reversed.
The moment showed how England have more to do going forward, but this was not bad for starters.
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