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Harry Kane celebrates with Jamie Vardy after scoring the first goal for England
Reuters / Darren Staples
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EDITORIAL USE ONLY.[/caption]Manchester, May 23: Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy transferred their scoring form in the Premier League to the international stage Sunday, netting England’s goals in an unconvincing 2-1 victory over Turkey in the teams’ first warmup match ahead of the European Championship.
Vardy capitalized on successive mistakes from Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Babacan to sweep home a close-range winner in the 83rd minute, handing the Turks their first loss in 14 matches stretching back to November 2014.
Kane put England ahead in the third minute and missed a 72nd-minute penalty that would have restored England’s lead after Hakan Calhanoglu’s 13th-minute equalizer Turkey’s first-ever goal against England in 11 games.
Vardy and Kane were paired up front by England coach Roy Hodgson after scoring 49 goals between them in the Premier League this season. With captain Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge also fighting for attacking berths in the team at Euro 2016 in France, it has given Hodgson some thinking to do.
Hodgson has to cut three members of his provisional 26-man squad for the final group of 23, and Jack Wilshere a Hodgson favorite failed to make a convincing case for selection in his 66 minutes on the field. The Arsenal midfielder is coming back from a long injury layoff and is struggling for rhythm and match sharpness.
Winger Raheem Sterling, coming off a disappointing end to the season with Manchester City, also struggled to impress on his home ground as England played the first of two games away from its usual home of Wembley Stadium. England plays Australia in Sunderland on Friday, after which Hodgson will finalize his squad for Euro 2016.
Gary Cahill’s header from a corner was parried away weakly by Babacan, who made that error worse by falling onto the heels of Ismail Koybasi, a defender stationed on the post.
That gave Vardy time to pounce and the Leicester striker’s shot from two meters hit the face of Babacan and careered into the net.
Vardy also won the penalty that Kane squandered, when he dispossessed Mehmet Topal and bore down on goal before being brought down by Topal.
Kane’s penalty clipped the outside of the post and the Tottenham striker held his head in his hands.
He had been celebrating early on when he ran onto a pass from club teammate Dele Alli, from what appeared an offside position, and sidefooted home.
It was Kane’s 32nd goal for club or country this season, and he appears one of the few guaranteed starters against Russia in Marseille on July 11 in England’s first game at the Euros.