England’s hopes of reaching the Euro 2013 knockout stages are hanging by a thread after last night’s 1-1 draw with Russia.
Toni Duggan’s last-gasp equaliser in Linkoping gave Hope Powell’s team a precious lifeline after their opening defeat by Spain.
England were heading out of the competition as they trailed to Nelli Korovkina’s first-half header in injury time.
However, 21-year-old Everton striker Duggan, playing in her first major tournament, pounced in the box and swept the ball home from a tight angle.
Coach Powell said: “The girls are disappointed but [one] point is better than no points. We have to take courage from the fact that we fought right to the end.”
Duggan said: “I don’t know how I feel. I’m disappointed. We expected to win and we’ve come away with a draw. But I’ve been waiting to play my part in the team and, thankfully, today I did that.”
With just one point from their first two games, England will probably need to record their first ever victory over France on Thursday to progress to the final eight.
Powell said: “We know it’s a mountain, we know who we’re playing, we know who we’re up against. We’ve got to get something out of it.”
France’s 1-0 win over Spain last night guaranteed them top spot in Group C. With the top two from the three groups progressing, plus the two best third-place teams, England will know exactly what is required before kick-off.
