October 13, (THEWILL) – A much-changed England side earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over rivals Australia in a friendly match at Wembley Stadium on Friday night. Gareth Southgate’s experimental team struggled for fluency but secured the win thanks to a second-half goal from Ollie Watkins.
The hosts dominated possession in the first half but created few clear openings. Australia looked dangerous on the counterattack and came close through efforts from Keanu Baccus and Ryan Strain. Watkins hit the post for England before the break in their best moment.
The deadlock was broken just before the hour mark when Jack Grealish crossed for Watkins to turn the ball in at the far post. It was the Aston Villa striker’s third England goal and will boost his chances of going to the Euros next year.
There was a subdued atmosphere at times from the Wembley crowd, with some jeers heard when Jordan Henderson was substituted in the second period. Sections of supporters also booed when the captain’s name was read out before kick-off.
The visitors continued to threaten late on as Connor Metcalfe headed against the upright. But England held on as they close in on Euro 2024 qualification.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
