Gareth Bale Can’t Stop Scoring Free-kicks

They should have taken the lead in the seventh minute when Harry Kane freed Adam Lallana to cross for Raheem Sterling, but from seven yards out the Manchester City man could only slide the ball over the bar.

Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling threatened with headers, while the most contentious incident of the first period saw Kane denied a penalty when his close-range header struck Ben Davies’s outstretched left hand.

Bale, Welsh antagoniser-in-chief in the build-up to the game, had been a peripheral figure, save for a shot that was blocked by Cahill, but three minutes before halftime he strode onto centre-stage.

Wayne Rooney’s foul on Robson-Kanu gave Wales a free-kick 35 yards out in a central position. Though Bale’s shot had vicious pace and dip, Hart should have done better than palm it inside his left-hand post.

It made the Real Madrid forward the first Wales player to score against England since Mark Hughes, on his debut, in May 1984.

When the halftime whistle came, it drew a cascade of boos from the England end.

Hodgson was quick to react, sending on Leicester City star Vardy and Liverpool’s Sturridge for Kane and Sterling at the break, and after Rooney had seen a low curler palmed behind by Hennessey, his side equalised.

Sturridge’s flighted cross from the left was knocked down at the back post and Vardy swivelled to tuck away his fourth international goal.

He was standing around four yards offside, but replays showed that the previous touch had come from Wales captain Ashley Williams.

The on-pitch scene soon resembled the Alamo as Hodgson threw on teenage Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford for Lallana, leaving England with four of their five named forwards on the pitch.

Despite the charge it seemed Wales would hold out, only for Sturridge to collect Dele Alli’s clever flick and steer a shot inside Hennessey’s near post in the 91st minute, silencing the Welsh hordes.