Owen double saves Ireland

England 2 Slovakia 1

Michael Owen celebrated his 50th international cap with two goals to take England a step closer to the Euro 2004 finals.

The 23-year-old Liverpool striker now has 22 England goals after his double saved England’s blushes when Slovakia were threatening an upset in Middlesbrough’s Riverside stadium.

Vladimir Janocko’s free-kick had given the visitors a half-time lead but a penalty and a header by Owen saw England do enough to keep above Turkey in the Group Seven table.

Owen could easily have scored five on the night. It took just 49 seconds for his first chance when Paul Scholes slid a ball out to Steven Gerrard and his first-time pass found Owen sprinting between two defenders.

The striker looked odds-on to score and tried to lift the ball over Miroslav Konig only for the Slovakian keeper to get the merest of touches to deflect it past the post.

David James made a smart parry after Robert Vittek had left fly with an angled drive and Matthew Upson followed up with an important block to clear.

Although Slovakia continued to look suspect defensively – Rastilav Michalik almost headed Scholes’ cross into his own net – the same could be said of England as Radoslav Zabavnik picked out Igor Demo’s run with a beautiful lateral pass but he sliced into the crowd.

The warning was not heeded and after 31 minutes Janocko swung over a free-kick from the left touchline, the ball curled over every player and bounced past the embarrassed James.

It was almost 2-0 when Michal Hanek forced James to parry and then England and Slovakia traded miss for miss for the rest of the half.

Owen had two more good chances, one created by Ashley Cole’s drilled cross and the other by Frank Lampard’s astute pass, but both times his shot was feeble.

In between, Slovakia took advantage of space on the flanks to rip England apart, though with no further reward. Michalik picked out Demo, who somehow blasted wide from 12 yards though completely unmarked, and then Szilard Nemeth contrived to miss from virtually the same spot.

Clearly rattled, Eriksson took off Danny Mills and shuffled his pack. He restored Gerrard to the base of the midfield diamond, Owen Hargreaves came off the bench on the right and Phil Neville took Mills’ place at full-back.

England immediately appeared more compact and Gerrard embarked on a quite brilliant run across and through the Slovakian defence only to chip too high when trying to beat the keeper.

After 56 minutes Wayne Rooney, who had looked completely out of sorts, made way for Darius Vassell and his knack of scoring timely goals nearly proved itself again with his very first touch but he could not get firm enough contact.

Then Owen’s knack on winning controversial penalties helped England to an equaliser. The striker embarked on a weaving run into the box and when his path was blocked by Marian Zeman he went down in a heap.

German referee Wolfgang Stark pointed to the spot, Owen dusted himself down and rolled the penalty home.

Stark then ruled out what looked a clearer penalty after Gareth Southgate appeared to be pulled before Lampard came close with a swivel of his hips and carefully-placed shot that was deflected an inch wide.

Lampard turned Southgate’s shot into the net from close range only for an offside flag to end his celebrations. Television replays showed the Chelsea man clearly onside.

England were not to be denied however. Gerrard flighted over a teasing cross which Owen rose to meet with perfect header which bulleted into the net.

The hat-trick seemed there for the taking when Cole picked out Owen again but after his first shot was parried his follow-up header came back off the bar.