England boss Roy Hodgson: Draw with Russia 'feels like a defeat'

ROY HODGSON has admitted England's draw with Russia feels like a defeat.

Posted Monday, June 13, 2016 by Dailystar.co.uk

Eric Dier fired home a sublime free kick on 73 minutes as the Three Lions appeared to be on course for all three points but Russia defender Vasili Berezutski levelled with a header at the death.

Hodgson told BBC Radio 5 Live: "When you concede with one minute left, it is a bitter disappointment.

"After one dodgy spell at the start of the second half, if we take away that 15 minutes, we were in total control.

"I would have been happy with 1-0 but we conceded in the last minute.

"At least it wasn't a glaring error but we go away with a draw rather than a victory.

"We changed a tiring Wayne Rooney with 15 minutes to go with Jack Wilshere, that's not a tremendous differently change because both help us play.

"The other one was Raheem Sterling, who had made a couple of long runs, with James Milner, with the thought to shore things up against us a bit and help with set-pieces.

"That didn't work out.

"I thought we played well, in the first half I thought that was as good a performance as we are capable of giving.

"After that 15 minute spell, we got back on track and established our control again and we were unlucky not to score a second goal which would have put it behind doubt.

"It feels like a defeat because we were preparing to celebrate a victory and we don't have that possibility now."