Kosovo 0-4 England: Kane scores amid late goal glut
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Article summary
Harry Kane’s 12th goal of the qualifying campaign helped Gareth Southgate’s men end with another big win.
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Article body
Already-qualified England struck three late goals as they ended their UEFA EURO 2020 campaign with another emphatic win in Pristina.
Harry Winks' neat first-half finish set the Three Lions on their way, but the game was still in the balance 11 minutes from time when Harry Kane scored a record-equalling 12th England goal of 2019.
Substitutes Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount added to the tally in the closing minutes.
KOSOVO v ENGLAND: AS IT HAPPENED
Reporter's view
Southgate's team already had UEFA EURO 2020 qualification booked, but this seventh Group A win leaves them with a record goals haul of 37. There were first England strikes for Winks and Mount and the former did his prospects no harm with a positive display in a more advanced role.
Simon Hart
State of play
- Kosovo finished third in Group A; will be in play-offs as UEFA Nations League Group D3 winner.
- England qualified for the finals as Group A winners.
Reaction
Gareth Southgate: "It was a tight game. It was a good test for us, really. We had to withstand spells of pressure, gave them a few half-chances that on another night would be more of a problem, but in the end our counterattacking was absolutely ruthless."
Harry Kane, England forward: "Obviously as a striker I want to be scoring goals, I want to be winning games, so it's great to get another goal today. A little deflection just fell my way … I love scoring, any striker does, so hopefully I can keep that going into next summer."
Harry Winks, England midfielder: "It’s a dream come true to score for my country. It's one I never really thought would happen and obviously to score the first goal and to score in the way it was played was a great moment for me."
Key stats
- England have won their past three games by an aggregate score of 17-0, notching 17 goals across three matches for the first time since May 1964.
- England have scored 38 goals in 2019 – they have only bettered that tally once in a calendar year (39 in 1908)
- Kane has scored 15 goals in only 13 EURO qualifying appearances – one more than previous national record holder Wayne Rooney (27 matches).
- Kane has plundered 28 goals in 29 appearances for England under Gareth Southgate.
- Winks and Mount scored their first England goals.
- Kosovo were 12 home matches unbeaten (W10 D2), dating back to 6 October 2017, before Sunday.
Line-ups
Kosovo: Kosovo: Muric; Vojvoda, Rrahamni, Aliti, Kololli; Berisha (Halimi 65), Halimi, Rashica, Celina, Hadërgjonaj (Zhegrova 73), Nuhiu (Rashani 82)
England: Pope; Alexander-Arnold (Tomori 84), Maguire, Mings, Chilwell; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Mount 73), Rice, Winks; Sterling, Kane, Hudson-Odoi (Rashford 59)