Football: England vs ROI Review

Wednesday night's game ended in a draw at Wembley in a game which was seen as a bridge builder as much as a game of football. England and the Republic of Ireland have a history of tension and this was the first time the two sides met since the abandoned match in 1995 where crowd trouble marred proceedings. The game itself ended 1-1, with West Brom's Shane Long giving Ireland the lead, before Frank Lampard equalised before half time. That is how things ended, and although England dominated possession for most of the match and proved to be much the better team, they could not break down a resolute Irish defence. All in all, Ireland came out much the happier team and although some key players were missing for England, they look far from the finished article ready to win a major tournament.