David Alaba own goal takes gloss off Austria win

AUSTRIA captain David Alaba scored an embarrassing late own goal to take the gloss off a 2-1 win over Malta in their Euro 2016 warm-up match.

Alaba passed back to Ramazan Ozcan in the 87th minute from the edge of the area without looking, leaving the goalkeeper out of position and desperately scrambling as the ball rolled into the net on Wednesday.

Austria, who face Hungary, Portugal and Iceland in Group F at next month’s finals in France, coasted to victory after scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes.

Ireland’s preparations for Euro 2016 suffered a setback in the shape of a shock 2-1 defeat at home to modest Belarus in a warm-up game.

Ireland went into the game without Robbie Keane and Harry Arter. Mikhail Gordeychuk gave Belarus the lead in the 20th minute with a powerful drive, after being assisted by Igor Stasevich.

Things went from bad to worse for the Irish hosts when Maksim Volodko made it 2-0 on the hour after being set up by Nikolay Yanush.

French Open..Samantha Stosur beats Simona Halep to reach Roland Garros quarter-finals

Samantha Stosur has reached the quarter-finals of the French Open for a fourth time after beating the sixth seed, Simona Halep.

The 32-year-old Australian overcame her Romanian opponent 7-6, 6-3 on another rain-affected day at Roland Garros.

Stosur, who reached the French Open final in 2010 and won the US Open title 12 months later, will next play Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria who in a second major upset beat the No2 seed Agnieszka Radwanksa 2–6, 6–3, 6–3. Pironkova had begun the day trailing 3–0 in the second set.

“It feels unbelievably great. I have no words – I’m so happy right now,” said Pironkova, who admitted the conditions were “very difficult with all the rain – we waited almost three days to finish the match. But I cannot complain!”

Pironkova joined the US player Shelby Rogers as the second player ranked outside the top 100 to reach the women’s quarter-finals.

Ex-Miss Turkey gets suspended sentence for insulting Turkey's president Erdogan

A court has convicted a former Miss Turkey of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan through social media postings and handed her a 14-month suspended sentence.

The court in Turkey found 27-year-old model Merve Buyuksarac guilty of insulting a public official but immediately suspended the sentence on condition that she does not re-offend within the next five years.

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Her lawyer, Emre Telci, said he would file a formal objection to the verdict and appeal her case at the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg, France.

Buyuksarac, who was crowned Miss Turkey in 2006, was briefly detained last year for sharing a satirical poem on her Instagram account in 2014. Prosecutors deemed it to be insulting to Mr Erdogan, who was still prime minister at the time. She has denied insulting him.

Since becoming president in 2014, Mr Erdogan has filed close to 2,000 defamation cases under a previously seldom-used law that bars insulting the president. Free speech advocates say the law is being used aggressively to silence and intimidate critics.

The trials have targeted journalists, academics and even schoolchildren. Coupled with a crackdown on opposition media and journalists, the trials have sounded alarms over the erosion of rights and freedoms in a country that was once seen as a model of Muslim democracy.

Mr Erdogan caused an uproar last month when, on the basis of an archaic German law that criminalises insulting foreign heads of state, he went after a German comedian who mocked him in a profanity-packed poem.

Mr Erdogan rejects accusations of growing authoritarianism. He also denies curbs on freedom of expression, citing what he says are large numbers of offensive articles against him and his family as proof.

"These insult trials are being initiated in series, they are being filed automatically," Mr Telci said after the verdict. "Merve was prosecuted for sharing a posting that did not belong to her. My client has been convicted for words that do not belong to her."

Thousands of others also posted the poem, which is a satirical adaptation of the Turkish national anthem. It did not mention Mr Erdogan by name, but alluded to a corruption scandal that allegedly involved his family.

Before the verdict was announced, Mr Erdogan's lawyer, Hatice Ozay, argued in court that Buyuksarac's Instagram post cannot be considered a criticism, but rather an attack on Mr Erdogan.

"This constitutes an attack on personal rights and for this reason we ask that the defendant be punished," the state-run Anadolu Agency quoted her as telling the court.

Also on Tuesday, veteran journalist Cengiz Candar appeared in court in Istanbul accused of insulting Mr Erdogan in a series of columns he wrote last summer criticising Turkey's renewed conflict against Kurdish rebels.

Candar, a former columnist for Radikal and Hurriyet newspapers, faces up to four years in prison if found guilty.

Candar rejected the charge. He said that, in 40 years as a journalist, he had covered and known seven presidents.

"I was an advisor to the late (President) Turgut Ozal, I had a friendship with the previous president, Abdullah Gul," Candar said. "I know how to address and act before a president. There can be no accusation of insulting a president where I am concerned."

Outside the courthouse, Candar told reporters: "These court cases must come to an end. Secondly, these trials must immediately end with acquittals so that the presidency of the Turkish Republic can preserve its respectability."

His case was adjourned until September.

Warriors to meet Cavs for NBA title

In a repeat of last season’s final, the Golden State Warriors will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015/16 final after completing a sensational come-from-behind series win against the Oklahoma City Thunder

Trailing 3-1 at one point in the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors rallied to make it 3-3 and silenced the Thunder once and for all in a series-deciding Game 7 on Monday, securing a 96-88 victory.

Warriors superstar Stephen Curry stole the spotlight as the series moved back to the Oracle Arena, scoring 36 points on 13 of 24 shooting, which included seven three-pointers.

Curry was well supported by his partner in crime Klay Thompson, who dropped 21 points, sinking six three-pointers in the process.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Thunder, but his right-hand man Russell Westbrook was a little disappointing even though he finished with 19 points and 13 assists.

Having emerged victorious after a long and arduous series against the Thunder, the Warriors are a step closer to retaining their NBA title. Last season, they beat the Cavaliers 4-2 to win their first NBA title in 40 years.

Pirlo says no hard feelings over Euro omission

Andrea Pirlo says he has no hard feelings towards Italy coach Antonio Conte after the veteran playmaker was overlooked for next month's European Championship in France.

Andrea Pirlo says he has no hard feelings towards Italy coach Antonio Conte after the veteran playmaker was overlooked for next month's European Championship in France.

The 37-year-old midfielder, who plays for Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York City, has featured in every major tournament for his country since Euro 2004 but that run ended when he was left out of the provisional squad last week.

PIRLO SUPPORTS CONTE

"I have spoken to Conte and there is no disappointment on my part," Pirlo told Sky Sports Italia. "He knows what he has to do and what he should not do.

"We had discussions during the season and both parties made their own decisions. He is the coach and it's only right he makes his decisions and decides what is best for him."

Conte said last week that Pirlo and Sebastian Giovinco, who plays for Toronto, had paid the price for their decision to play in MLS. Italy's coach suggested in November that 2006 World Cup winner Pirlo should return to his homeland if he wanted to continue his international career.

Pirlo made the last of his 116 appearances against Malta in September. He was called up for subsequent Euro 2016 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Norway but missed those games through injury and has not been picked since.

"I hope Italy win although the favourites are other teams such as Germany, Spain and France," said Pirlo.

Italy have been drawn in Group E with Belgium, Ireland and Sweden.

France win, Sweden draw in frindlies games

 Dimitri Payet has grabbed a stunning late winner as Euro 2016 hosts France beat Cameroon 3-2, while Sweden were held 0-0 by Slovenia in their penultimate tune-up game.

Payet was on target in the 90th minute with a sublime free-kick into the far left corner in Nantes, two minutes after Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting of German club Schalke had levelled for the Africans.

Paris Saint-Germain's Blaise Matuidi volleyed home Kingsley Coman's cross in the 20th and Arsenal's Olivier Giroud struck shortly before half-time off Paul Pogba for Les Bleus.

Porto's Vincent Aboubakar scored Cameroon's first goal in the 22nd against an at times shaky France defence.

The win will boost France ahead of their Euro opener on June 10 against Romania, with Switzerland and Albania their other Group A opponents for the tournament starting on June 10.

Didier Deschamps and his team will have a final tune-up game on Saturday against Scotland in Metz.

Meanwhile, Sweden were without Zlatan Ibrahomovic, who is nursing a calf problem, during a scoreless draw against Slovenia in Malmo.

Parts of the crowd jeered the team after the final whistle.

Sweden have one more tune-up game on Sunday against Wales before facing former world ranking leaders Belgium, Euro 2012 runners-up Italy and Ireland in a difficult Group E.

Kidnapped Mexican internation footballer Pulido rescued 'unharmed', authorities say

The Olympiacos and Mexico striker Alan Pulido has been rescued and is home "safe and sound", around 24 hours after he was kidnapped by gunmen in the north of the country, Mexican officials have said.

Mr Pulido, 25, was seized near Ciudad Victoria, in Tamaulipas state, after leaving a party.

Authorities said he was found safe and sound. Pictures on Mexican media showed him with a bandaged hand.

Local media reports said Mr Pulido had been leaving a party with his girlfriend in the early hours of Sunday morning when their car was surrounded by several trucks.

Six masked men reportedly took the striker away "by force" while his girlfriend was left unharmed in the car park where the incident took place

Tamaulipas is one of Mexico's most violent states, and Mexico recently deployed more security forces to tackle cartels operating in the area.

The country has one of the world's highest kidnapping rates, with government figures saying some 1,000 people are abducted every year.

Others argue that the true figure could be almost 10 times as high.

Mexican international soccer player Pulido Kidnapped in Mexico

Mexican international soccer player, Alan Pulido, who plays for the Greek club Olympiakos has been kidnapped in Mexico, according to reports on Sunday.

His brother Armando Pulido, who is also a soccer player in Mexico, said the the 25-year-old has been missing since Saturday night, Medio Tiempo quoted him as saying. "Yes, it is true. He disappeared from the morning and we are trying to support the governor. We are waiting to see what happens.”

The kidnapping has reportedly taken place somewhere in the dangerous northern state of Tamaulipas, where he was born.

Olympiakos acquired Alan Pulido for about US$3.2 million and signed him on through June 2019.

According to official reports, the striker went missing in the early hours of Sunday morning from the city of Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, where he had been at a party with his girlfriend.

Pulido apparently left the social gathering before midnight and as he was driving his vehicle was surrounded by various pickup trucks from which six masked men descended.

“They took him away by force,” as well as his girlfriend, who was later released by the kidnappers and left in the car park from where they had been abducted.

The Sun said three different federal agencies are investigating the crime and carrying out efforts to find Pulido alive.

The kidnappers have not yet made contact with Alan's family as to ask for ransom.

Pulido, who played 15 games last season, was instrumental in the final months of the season as the club won the Greek Superleague with six matches to spare. He finished the season with six goals, including a winning one against Xant

Hull City back in Premier League

Hull City's Mohamed Diame struck an unstoppable long-range shot to beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley and secure a money-spinning return to the Premier League after just one season.

The game is billed as the richest in world football, with at least 170 million pounds in future earnings for the winners, and with the stakes so high both Yorkshire teams put safety first before a crowd of just over 70,000.

It was always going to take something special to beat Wednesday's in-form Ireland keeper Keiren Westwood and Diame, who had hit the post just before halftime, produced it after 72 minutes with a superb shot which curled under the crossbar.

"Tonight we will enjoy it and celebrate," said the 28-year-old Senegal midfielder Diame, who was man of the match and added that the goal was the most important of his 11-year career.

It was a strike, set up by Robert Snodgrass's lay-off just outside the area, that recalled memories of Dean Windass's stunner to secure Hull's first playoff triumph in 2008.

Wednesday, who have been out of the top flight since 2000, finished with four strikers on the pitch as they chased an equaliser but Hull held on to secure manager Steve Bruce his fourth promotion from the Championship.

"It was a wonder strike," said much-travelled former Manchester United defender Bruce. "Diame has had his critics this season but it was a bit of magic that won us the match.

"I thought we did enough to win it. My big players performed excellently."

It was also a memorable day for Hull's owner, Egyptian-born businessman Assem Allam, though he was not there to witness it.

The controversial 76-year-old multi-millionaire, who has angered many fans by wanting to change the team's name, has been ill for some time and has hardly been seen at the club.

Hull will join second division champions Burnley and runners-up Middlesbrough in the Premier League next season. Hull finished fourth in the Championship standings, nine points ahead of Carlos Carvalhal's Wednesday who came sixth.

Rising NBA stars visit Acropolis Museum in Athens

Inhabitants of the NBA world have been spotted in Athens, Greece! Kristaps Porzingis landed in Athens and met with Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Together they will play in the “Antetokounbros Streetball Event”, which is organized by Eurohoops and the city of Athens.

The Latvian star of the New York Knicks has specifically come to the Greek capital in order to join Thanasis’ team in the upcoming event. The reason? To provide his aid to his friend and help him beat Giannis’ team.

Giannis and Thanasis have been gracious hosts to Kristaps. Together, they visited the world famous “Acropolis Museum” where some of the most beautiful artifacts of Ancient Greece are in display.

The three players were given a private tour of the Museum by the staff and marveled at its beautiful collection of marbles, statues. sculptures and other unique exhibits. In his first visit in Athens, Kristaps was more than impressed.

“I’d definitely recommend Athens as a destination worth visiting. Why not?” said the Knicks’ player. “It’s a great city with a big history”.

Kristaps has been more acquainted with Giannis during his visit. Will that make him go softer on him during their upcoming battles between the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks? “Not at all! Our match-ups will be even more interesting and definitely tougher”, said the Latvian big guy.

From his side, Giannis Antetokounmpo commented on the importance of the upcoming “Antetokounbros Streetball Event”. “It’s big for us. Mainly because we feel that we lead young people to sports. It is a certain way and motif of life which highly rewarding to being involved in”.

“We grew up around these areas and these streets”, said Thanasis Antetokounmpo.  “Now it’s amazing to have a chance to participate in an event that takes place where used to play as children. We hope that it will be equally, if not more successful to the previous ones in Heraklion and Thessaloniki”

Real Madrid break Atletico hearts again with Champions League shootout win

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out which gave Real Madrid their 11th European crown as city rivals Atletico suffered yet more Champions League heartbreak.

Two years ago Atleti were denied victory in the final against the same opposition by a Sergio Ramos equaliser three minutes into added time as Real went on to win 'La Decima'.

Similarly dramatic scenes were repeated in Milan's San Siro stadium after substitute Yannick Carrasco cancelled out Ramos' first-half effort as it ended 1-1 after extra time and it was entirely predictable Ronaldo, who barely had an impact on the game in the preceding 120 minutes, would be the man to steal the limelight.

As a result coach Zinedine Zidane, who only took over from sacked Rafael Benitez in January, became a Champions League winner as both a player and manager with the same club.

It was devastating for Atletico, who had their chances in normal time with 33-goal forward Antoine Griezmann blasting a penalty against the crossbar early in the second half.

They did everything to drag themselves back into the match having fallen behind early on.

Atleti goalkeeper Jan Oblak had already beaten away Casemiro's point-blank effort from Gareth Bale's free-kick before Ramos, looking suspiciously offside from the Wales international's flick on of Toni Kroos' set-piece, touched home from close range in the 15th minute.

He became the first defender to score in two Champions League finals and joined forwards Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and club-mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul in achieving the feat.

Coincidentally it was also his first Champions League goal since the 2014 final but instead of inspiring his side to greater deeds the opposite happened.

What followed was a very un-Real performance as they sat deep with men behind the ball and allowed their city rivals to dominate possession.

The plan seemed to be to deny Atleti the space to run in behind them, almost turning their opponents often used tactics against them, and it worked up until half-time with a couple of long-range efforts from Griezmann the best they could muster.

Carrasco replaced Augusto Fernandez at the break as Simeone adjusted his game plan and it paid immediate dividends as Pepe clattered Fernando Torres from behind to concede a 48th-minute penalty.

Griezmann, who had supplied the pass for Torres, stepped up but blasted the ball against the crossbar. The Frenchman has missed only two penalties this season and both were against Keylor Navas.

It could have been a pivotal moment but Atleti, a team moulded in Simeone's image, are made of stern stuff and they came back with Stefan Savic stabbing wide, Koke swerving a shot on the angle just wide and Saul Niguez hooking a volley past the far post.

The actual pivotal moment came with 20 minutes to go as, after Oblak had denied Karim Benzema on the counter-attack, Bale's shot was cleared off the line after Ronaldo, who had suffered an injury scare earlier in the week and was largely a peripheral figure until the game opened up in the final quarter, had been denied by the Atleti goalkeeper.

Conceding a second goal at that point would more than likely have been fatal to Atleti's hopes but they continued to dominate and were rewarded 11 minutes from time when Carrasco arrived at the far post to convert Juanfran's cross.

The 22-year-old celebrated becoming the first Belgian to score in a Champions League final by running to kiss girlfriend Noemie Happart - a former Miss Belgium - after picking her out in the crowd.

Torres turned another Juanfran cross into the side-netting as Atletico threatened to snatch it before the onset of extra time but even a further 30 minutes could not produce a winner.

Real were impeccable in the shoot-out with Lucas Vazquez, Marcelo, a cramp-riddled Bale, Ramos and Ronaldo all scoring while Griezmann, Gabi and Saul were successful with theirs as Juanfran was the only man to miss.

Croatia Get two match World Cup Stadium Ban For Fascist Chant

Croatia national soccer team have been ordered to play two World Cup qualifying matches in empty stadiums for repeated cases of fans chanting fascist slogans.

FIFA says its disciplinary committee also fined the Croatian soccer federation 150,000 Swiss francs ($151,000).

The stadium bans will take effect when Croatia host Turkey on September 5 and Finland on October 9.

FIFA says Croatia fans were guilty of discriminatory chants at friendlies against Israel and Hungary in March.

FIFA says Croatia "had already been sanctioned for similar incidents by FIFA and UEFA" in previous seasons.

Before the 2014 World Cup, FIFA banned Croatia defender Josip Simunic for 10 matches for leading fans in a World War II-era chant used by the country's then-puppet regime.

Cleaveland Cavaliers through to NBA Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers are heading back to the NBA Finals.

A year after their chase for a championship was derailed by season-ending injuries to All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, the Cavaliers are hungry for the title they feel cruelly eluded them.

They crushed the Toronto Raptors 113-87 in Toronto on Friday to clinch the Eastern Conference title series 4-2.

James was on a mission to extinguish the Raptors with 33 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.

"I don't think last year I appreciated it enough getting back to the finals," James, who has been to six straight finals series with two different teams, said.

"This year I am going to appreciate it."

The Cavaliers will play the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder lead the series 3-2 and can eliminate the Warriors on Saturday with a win in game six in front of their wild Oklahoma City home crowd.

If the Warriors win, the series will be decided on Monday in Oakland.

Australian point guard Dellavedova emerged as a cult hero in last year's finals, stepping up to be James' sidekick before losing the title to the Warriors, which feature Melbourne-born centre Andrew Bogut.

It will be the fourth straight year Australians will be part of the Finals with Patty Mills and Aron Baynes winning the championship in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs and losing to the Miami Heat in 2013.

If the Thunder beat the Warriors and make the finals it will become an Australasian battle between Dellavedova and the Thunder's New Zealand centre Steven Adams.

Dellavedova played just eight minutes against Toronto, with Cavaliers' coach Tyronn Lue rarely resting starting point guard Kyrie Irving who played 40 minutes and James who was on the court for a marathon 41 minutes.

Game one of the NBA Finals will be played on Wednesday.

Rio Olympics 'should be moved or postponed'

More than 100 leading scientists say the Rio Olympics should be moved or postponed over the Zika outbreak.

The group says new findings about the virus make it "unethical" for the games to go ahead in an open letter to the World Health Organization.

They call on the WHO to revisit its guidance on Zika, which is linked to serious birth defects.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in May it sees no reason to delay or move the games due to Zika.

The outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease began in Brazil a year ago, but now more than 60 countries and territories have continuing transmission.

While Zika's symptoms are mild, in the letter the experts say it causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and may also cause a rare and sometimes fatal neurological syndrome in adults.

The letter is signed by 150 international scientists, doctors and medical ethicists from such institutions as Oxford University and Harvard and Yale universities in the United States.

They cite the failure of a mosquito-eradication programme in Brazil, and the country's "weakened" health system as reasons to postpone or move the Olympics in "the name of public health"

."An unnecessary risk is posed when 500,000 foreign tourists from all countries attend the Games, potentially acquire that strain, and return home to places where it can become endemic," the letter says.

The biggest risk, it adds, is if athletes contracted the virus and returned home to poor countries that had not yet suffered a Zika outbreak.

They also express concern the WHO has a conflict of interest through its partnership with the IOC.

The Rio Olympics take place between 5-21 August.

The WHO, which has declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency, is yet to comment on the letter.

Several public health experts had previously warned that having hundreds of thousands of people arriving in Rio will speed up Zika's spread and lead to the births of brain-damaged babies.

But on Thursday, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose advice is quoted approvingly in the letter, said the threat did not warrant halting the games.

"There is no public health reason to cancel or delay the Olympics," Dr Tom Frieden said.

He however urged the US to act more quickly to prevent pregnant women contracting Zika, amid congressional deadlock over the release of $1.9bn (£1.3bn) in funding.

Kyrgios beaten in dramatic third round against Gasquet at French Open

Battling injury and emotions, Nick Kyrgios has plunged out of the French Open at the hands of nemesis Richard Gasquet in a sobering reminder of the unforgiving nature of grand slam tennis.

Requiring treatment on his upper left arm and shoulder in the first set, Kyrgios was ruthlessly dispatched by Gasquet 6-2 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 in front of a partisan crowd.

“I got absolutely destroyed. Wasn’t really fun,” Kyrgios said.

“I struggled today pretty much in every aspect. I had chances in the second and I just didn’t play big. I just played really bad today. Really bad.

“Leaves a bit of bad taste in my mouth. I thought I had a good clay court season leading up, and it was just a bad performance today.”

Kyrgios confirmed the injury impacted his backhand and ball toss.

Frustrated by his injury and Gasquet’s near flawless form, Kyrgios raged at his supporters to “get out of my box, I’m sick of it. Get out of my box.”

His brother Christos and members of his fitness staff were among the Kyrgios backers sitting courtside.

Asked about the comments post-match, he said: “Don’t want to talk about it.”

Kyrgios was jeered and whistled at after swatting his courtside bench with his racquet.

Watched by Davis Cup coach Lleyton Hewitt, Kyrgios was clearly below his best from the outset, dropping his opening service game.

Trailing 1-4, he said to umpire Eva Asderaki: “Can I call a physio at the next change of ends please?”

Kyrgios told medical staff the pain in his arm was “getting dramatically worse.”

“It’s affecting my ball toss,” he said.

“This morning when I was warming up I could feel it on my backhand, now it’s on my ball toss.”

After receiving a three-minute medical time-out, Kyrgios resumed at 2-5 but again dropped serve.

Sitting with his face buried in a towel at the changeovers, Kyrgios cut a miserable figure.

Kyrgios hit eight aces and 35 winners but made 44 unforced errors.

Gasquet also delivered eight aces and 29 winners but had only 18 unforced errors.

Gasquet has now won five of seven encounters with the Australian.

Kyrgios’s downfall came as Sam Stosur advanced to the fourth round - and then distanced herself from debate over Kyrgios’s Olympic suitability.

“I think if he wants to be there and he maybe behaves himself from now on, it’s a good chance for him to be there,” Stosur said.

“But like I said, there is a lot of criteria that goes into being a part of the Australian team.

“That’s for them (officials) to decide, and, yeah, I’m not too worried about it. If he wants to be there, I’m sure he could take steps to be there.”

England 2-1 Australia: Dream debut for teenage Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford's incredible rise continued when he took less than three minutes of his England debut to grab his first goal for his country.

The young striker fired Roy Hodgson's men into an early lead, before Wayne Rooney secured the victory in the second half.

It was not a convincing performance by the Three Lions, and Eric Dier's headed own goal put their position under threat late on, but the hosts held on for the win in their second pre-Euro 2016 warm-up game.

Rashford was named in the starting XI due to injury to Daniel Sturridge, and he dispelled any nerves early on.

The youngster cleverly played in the overlapping Raheem Sterling as England broke, but decided to linger in the space in the area rather than move towards goal.

The Manchester City man's cross deflected off the first man and sat up perfectly for Rashford, who sent a composed finish past Matthew Ryan at the near post.

It was fairytale stuff, as he became his country's third youngest scorer behind Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, with the former allowing himself a smile on the substitutes bench.

The goal was the perfect start for the Three Lions, but they failed to further prove their dominance, as the visitors grew into the game.

They started to control possession with ease, and offered a few threats to the shaky England backline; Robbie Kruse's powerful blocked shot being the best chance.

Rashford had the chance to double his tally a quarter of an hour in, but he failed to capitalise on Sterling's inch perfect pass when his control let him down.

Adam Lallana also had the chance to put the hosts two ahead, but the impressive Ryan saved well after the Liverpool winger tried to turn home Rashford's clever pass.

Joshua Risdon and Jamie Maclaren both threatened to get the Socceroos back on level terms, but Chris Smalling and John Stones respectively interfered in time to prevent either player getting a shot off at Fraser Forster's goal.

Jordan Henderson tested Ryan with minutes to go of the opening period, the Valencia keeper pushing a curling attempt over the bar to keep the score 1-0 at the break.

Rooney was introduced at half-time, alongside James Milner, taking part in his first England action since the end of the domestic season.

And it was the skipper who grabbed the second for the hosts 10 minutes in to the second half.

Australia threatened, and continually made England's defence look poor, but a counter attack from the Three Lions resulting in Rooney crashing the ball home after being played through by Sterling.

It was harsh on the visitors, but it presented a real conundrum for Hodgson, who has now seen all four of his strikers to have played in the friendlies hit the back of the net.

Nathaniel Clyne went close with a long range attempt as the Three Lions pushed for a third, with Rooney's goal seeming to take much of the fight out of Australia.

Eric Dier was brought on to give him minutes at centre-back, knowing he is the fourth option in Hodgson's selection should either of the natural defenders be out of action.

However, moments after entering the field, the Spurs midfielder sent a low near post header past Forster to get the visitors back into the game.

The goal did little to kickstart an Australia fight back, and the hosts saw out the win with comparative ease, ensuring the 100% pre-tournament record continues for the Three Lions.