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Updated Thursday June 1, 2000 England pack their bags - so does Cole By Nigel Clarke
England packed their bags for the European Championship buoyed by a 2-0 victory over Ukraine at Wembley.
It was an emotional night for England captain Alan Shearer, playing his final international at the stadium which holds so many memories and mixed fortunes.
And it deflected attention away from the absence of Andy Cole, left out of an England squad for a major championship for the third time and unable to accept a place on the substitutes' bench deciding instead to return home before the match.
Keegan did his best to dampen any accusations of a row over Cole's absence and said: 'Don't write that Andy was dropped. Had he been fully fit, I'm certain I would have taken him. But Andy couldn't, hand on heart, say he was fit.
'He desperately, desperately wanted to come but I am convinced this is the right decision and so is he. I spent an hour with him and he accepted the fact that it was the right decision.'
Shearer came close to marking his farewell with a goal. It was the Newcastle striker's header from David Beckham's corner a minute before half-time that goalkeeper Viacheslav Kernozenko found too hot to handle, the ball rebounding to give Robbie Fowler a point-blank shot to put England ahead.
Old warhorse Tony Adams got on the scoresheet, too, firing home following another Beckham corner for his first England goal in 11 years.
Shearer said: 'It's an emotional time. I have had some great times here. But I hope there's better to come.'
Fowler, who played the first 45 minutes after missing much of the season through injury, said: 'That is the best I've felt playing for England. Fitness was not a problem - I've worked hard in training.'
With England's first match in Euro 2000 just 12 days away Keegan was upbeat, saying: 'There were a lot of good things to come out of the game. They were a good side. But we really stuck to it.
'We've still got to work on things but we've got other strings to our bow and second half when we pushed up.'
ENGLAND 22:
David Seaman
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RELATED: Keegan: Cole was not fit to go to Finals Reaction: Ferdinand wishes England well Phillips' fears prove to be unjustified England 2-0 Ukraine: Fowler repays faith Old warhorse may yet be back for a last gallop |
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