HOLLAND ATTACK AND BONETTI SAVES SHOT; FURTHER HOLLAND ATTACKS AND ANOTHER BONETTI SAVE; ENGLAND ATTACK AND DUTCH GOALKEEPER SAVES; BELL SCORES FROM BOBBY CHARLTON MISKICK; BELL CONGRATULATED.




Initials AH/V-TELE/BOB/MH


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SPORT: SOCCER

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Background: AN OPPORTUNIST GOAL BY COLIN BELL SIX MINUTES FROM FULL-TIME GAVE ENGLAND A NARROW VICTORY OVER HOLLAND IN AMSTERDAM LAST NIGHT (WEDNESDAY). IT WAS ENGLAND'S FIRST MATCH IN THE FINAL BUILD-UP TOWARDS DEFENDING THE WORLD CUP IN MEXICO NEXT YEAR.

ENGLAND'S PERFORMANCE LACKED COMPLETE CONVICTION. AND SOD DID THEIR GOAL. BOBBY CHARLTON, PLAYING HIS 96TH GAME FOR ENGLAND, BURST UPFIELD BUT MISCUED HIS SHOT. THE BALL CURLED HARMLESSLY TO THE EDGE OF THE DUTCH PENALTY AREA, WHERE BELL RACED IN TO HAMMER IT INTO THE NET.

THE WORLD CHAMPIONS, PLAYING THEIR FIRST INTERNATIONAL FOR FIVE MONTHS, INCLUDED FIVE OF THE WORLD CUP-WINNING SIDE. NEVERTHELESS, SEVERAL FIRST-CHOICE PLAYERS WERE NOTE AVAILABLE FOR THE GAME, AND THE ENGLISH TEAM OFTEN GAVE THE IMPRESSION OF STRUGGLING TO FIND ITS TRUE FORM.

THROUGHOUT THE GAME, HOLLAND, WHO HAVE NEVER BEATEN ENGLAND, HAD THEIR FAIR SHARE OF ATTACKING FOOTBALL. THE ENGLISH GOAL SURVIVED INTACT LARGELY DUE TO SOME EXCELLENT SAVES BY THE AGILE BONETTI, THE STEADINESS OF CAPTAIN BOBBY MOORE AND A COOL, PROMISING DEBUT BY LIVERPOOL DEFENDER EMLYN HUGHES.

AT THE OTHER REND, THE DUTCH GOALKEEPER TREYTEL SAVED WELL FROM SHOTS BY FRANCIS LEE, BOBBY CHARLTON AND ALAN MULLERY.

THE MAJORITY OF THE 35,000 CROWD IN AMSTERDAM'S OLYMPIC STADIUM HAD OBVIOUSLY RECONCILED THEMSELVES TO A DRAW WHEN BELL POPPED UP TO GIVE ENGLAND THE VICTORY HARDLY MERITED.