England National Football Team Match No. 756

England 3 Poland 1 [2-1]

Saturday, 27 March 1999

Match Summary and Report

Match Summary

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England Team

England Lineup

England Substitutes

4-4-2 with one central midfielder in a containing and holding role and the other free to attack:

Seaman -
G. Neville, Keown, Campbell, Le Saux -
Beckham (P. Neville*), Sherwood, Scholes (Redknapp), McManaman (Parlour*) -
Shearer, Cole.

Poland Team

Poland Lineup

Poland Substitutes

5-3-2 with one of the defenders playing as a sweeper and one of the forwards playing in a withdrawn position (1-4-3-1-1):

Matysek -
Lapiński -
Hajto, Ratajczyk, Zieliński, Siadaczka (Kowalczyk*) -
Świerczewski* (Kłos*), Brzęczek, Bąk* -
Iwan -
Trzeciak (Juskowiak).

Match Report

The sun shone on England and temporary manager Kevin Keegan as perennial rivals Poland were comprehensively beaten in front of another Wembley full-house.  Fulham's Chief Operating Officer had agreed to take charge for four matches, up to and including the Euro 2000 qualifier in Sofia, and he promised that his England players would wear the three lions with pride.

Andy Cole, playing for his former mentor at Newcastle, was given his first England start alongside skipper Alan Shearer.  But it was Paul Scholes, tucked in behind the front two, who emerged as England's hero with a stunning hat-trick.  Not even sure of a place in Manchester United's starting line-up, the carrot-topped star scored a priceless goal after 10 minutes to send England on their way to three vital points.

He anticipated Shearer's knockdown on the edge of the box and bravely lifted the ball over Polish 'keeper Matysek as he rushed out to meet the danger.  The ball rolled gently into the net and English fans were suddenly in full voice.  On 21 minutes it got even better as Scholes nudged the ball in - probably with his shoulder - as Beckham's cross speared into the near-post area.

Another goal now perhaps would have left the Poles for dead.  But, perhaps reading from a different script, Polish captain Brzeczek beat Seaman with a low shot into the corner on 28 minutes after some slack marking down the left flank.  A scoreline of 2-1 at the break was certain to make the second half interesting.

Poland had won their two qualifiers to date, both of them 3-0, but this was not a great Polish side and an England team showing more of the passion and commitment promised by Keegan didn't look to be in any trouble.  Their was fluency in their passing and everything seemed to go through Tim Sherwood, enjoying an impressive international debut at the age of 30.

Steve McManaman, bound for Real Madrid in the summer, was featuring in his first England match of the campaign but had a quiet first half in which he saw little of the ball out wide on the left.  There were a a couple of trademark bursts into the box in the second period before Arsenal's Ray Parlour replaced him to win his first cap in the 69th minute.  Within seconds Scholes had made it 3-1 with a firm header.  - The Official F.A. and England Yearbook 1999-2000.

Source Notes

PY/CG