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Thursday March 20, 2008; European Championship Qualifier England Ladies 0 Czech Republic 0 England: S.Chamberlain, A.Scott, C.Stoney, A.Asante, F.White, M.Phillip (L.Johnson 45), K.Carney, F.Williams, L.Sanderson (E.Aluko 45), E.Westwood, R.Yankey. There was a ferocious wind blowing around Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium as this European Championship qualifier got under way and the conditions were anything but conducive for good football. The wind remained a massive factor all night and offered England a reasonable excuse for a below par performance. In truth, however, England were very poor and could not wholly blame the conditions or their aggressive, determined opponents for the lack of quality they showed. The home side made a bright enough start with Lianne Sanderson sending a good ball across the face of goal which Karen Carney was close to meeting and then Carney robbed her full back before sending in a centre which pinballed around the box until Sanderson produced another neat touch to set up Alex Scott for a drive from the edge of the area that was always rising. As the game settled down, however, England's passing was extremely ragged and this, combined with some hesitant defending, encouraged the Czech's to push forward and for five minutes the England goal was under threat. Mary Phillip lost possession cheaply just outside her own box which allowed Blanka Penickova and Katerina Doskova to lead a raid on the England goal which ended with Doskova getting the better of Scott and her shot from twelve yards forced a fine reaction save out of Siobhan Chamberlain. Moments later Faye White was called upon to make a blocking challenge inside her own box and then Emily Westwood and Fara Williams got themselves into a tangle on the edge of their own area and were relieved to see Eva Smeralova shoot too high. There would be precious little ambition shown by the visitors after this spell but England remained patently unable to get their passing game together. Set pieces quickly became England's most likely source of danger and Alex Scott sent in a strong header from a Rachel Yankey corner but the ball struck Carney, standing in front of the keeper, and the ball was bundled clear. Then England had the ball in the net from an inswinging Carney free kick as the ball lobbed in off White but at least three England players had been caught offside as the Czech defence pushed out en masse. Lianne Sanderson was struggling to make an impression through the middle but was England's most creative player as she moved out to either flank and one turn and centre from the angle of the area was particularly impressive but there was nobody breaking forward to take advantage. Chamberlain played her side into trouble with an ill advised throw out to Casey Stoney who was immediately robbed but the England defence eventually managed to scramble the danger clear. With the game approaching the half hour mark the dodgy looking Czech keeper had yet to be tested so Fara Williams tried one of her 40 yarders but the ball lobbed through tamely to present no threat and then Yankey wasted a good position with a woeful centre straight at the keeper. Sanderson instigated decent moves twice in quick succession as she continued to rove intelligently. The first brought a free kick for a blatant foul on Yankey and Carney's dangerous inswinger bounced a foot wide of the post off Faye White as she attacked the ball four yards out. Then the forwards' scheming sent Alex Scott racing into the box but her touch was heavy and the chance quickly evaporated. England's best move of the half, perhaps the game, saw Sanderson involved twice with assured touches as she combined with her midfielders but the approach play was again spoiled by an aimless centre by Yankey. The Czech's had been highly aggressive in their approach from the start and had succeeded in spoiling England's tentative attacking moves in a largely legitimate manner but when Lucie Martinkova went in high and late on Alex Scott the referee was badly at fault not to produce a card of some description. The full back was soon in the action again with a telling cross that found Faye White, of all people, bursting into the box but the centre half had no real idea of what to do having got into such a good position and the ball simply bounced off her to the goalkeeper. With half time approaching Lucie Kladrubska suddenly sent in an ambitious effort from way out on the left wing and the ball was perilously close to the far post with Chamberlain nowhere. Then Lucie Martinkova also tried her luck but was too high from the edge of the box. Half Time: England Ladies 0 Czech Republic Ladies 0 Hope Powell decided action was needed after the lacklustre first half and made two changes at the break. Lindsay Johnson came on at the back for Mary Phillip while Eni Aluko replaced Lianne Sanderson up front. Although Sanderson had not been a threat on goal during the first half she had easily been England's most inventive player and it was hard to see why she wasn't left on and Emily Westwood, struggling to make any impression in the attacking midfielders role, withdrawn instead. Despite all Sanderson's goals for Arsenal her best position is probably playing off a striker and this was the ideal opportunity to let her do this in an England shirt. As it was Westwood became ever less influential as the game went on and Aluko simply looked out of her depths. Fara Williams almost got Carney away but a diving defender managed to head the ball behind for a corner which was headed forward by Westwood but Rachel Yankey, positioned in front of the keeper, was unable to get another touch. Yankey was as infuriating as ever in an England shirt. She made more promising positions for herself than any other player but all too often wasted them with a poor pass or centre. When the winger finally got it right with a sharp turn and centre from the left Carney came flying in for an acrobatic volley but could only shin her effort way off target. Yankey's next centre was from a corner and White made clean contact at the far post but the keeper was across to save smartly. The Czech's were continuing to put themselves about and when Irena Martinkova lunged into Westwood as she was shooting, to earn a booking, England had a free kick in a dangerous position. Fara Williams struck her shot well enough but the shot was too close to Marcela Zbrilova who saved at the second attempt. The play was becoming ever more scrappy as England's passes were either under or over hit. The Czech's were still harrying and putting their feet in but now they were eager to waste time when they could as well, taking an age over throw ins and staying down at every opportunity. Alex Scott bundled her way into a shooting position after linking with Carney down the right but her left foot shot was too high while Yankey was just unable to reach a lobbed pass from Williams ahead of the keeper. England finally managed to raise the tempo in the last five minutes but were still unable to create a clear cut chance. The best opportunity came when Aluko made her one positive contribution with a sharp turn and centre down the left hand side of the box which found Scott bursting beyond the defence but it would have needed a special finish as the full back, at full stretch, attempted a cushioned volley in mid air and the effort was always off target. Casey Stoney also got her head to a corner as the clock ticked down but saw her effort flash a few yards wide and the visitors had accomplished their mission of holding England. Allowances have to be made for the awful conditions but this was still a hugely disappointing performance from England. Without the suspended Kelly Smith there was no individual flair and nobody with either the confidence or ability to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Once again the formation offered cause for debate. Neither Yankey or Carney could really dominate their full backs which meant no service into the lone striker and with nobody linking up consistently from midfield there was a complete lack of a goal threat. This system appears to rely completely on Kelly Smith to be effective which basically makes it a bad system. Once again there was no prospect of Hope Powell changing the formation and the decision to remove Lianne Sanderson was surely a bad one. Eni Aluko is looking less and less like an international centre forward but, in her defence, England never play the football she thrives on. Aluko needs quick, sharp passes down the sides of the centre halves in and around the box and would benefit from having someone in support through the middle to take some weight off her. Sanderson was the one player in this squad who could have supplied those things but instead of partnering each other they were once again left to fend for themselves in a lonely battle through the middle with next to no service and always outnumbered. In midfield there was a distinct lack of creativity with Williams not at her best, Westwood struggling in an unfamiliar position and Anita Asante content to sit deep. In an attacking sense the inclusion of Casey Stoney at left back also hampers England. Stoney never once ventured forward in open play and her passing range is severely restricted by the need to come inside onto her right foot. This goalless draw is by no means a disaster in terms of qualifying but England still have work to do and they will now have to do it away from home as their three remaining fixtures are all on foreign soil. Full Time: England Ladies 0 Czech Republic Ladies 0 England: S.Chamberlain 5, A.Scott 5, C.Stoney 3, A.Asante 4, F.White 5, M.Phillip 2 (L.Johnson 4), K.Carney 4, F.Williams 4, L.Sanderson 6 (E.Aluko 1), E.Westwood 3, R.Yankey 4. Star Player: Lianne Sanderson On a night when England struggled to put two passes together and showed almost no invention whatsoever Sanderson's touch, movement and creativity was substantially better than any of her teammates. Her reward? To be dragged off at half time.
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