England denied victory by late piece of brilliance from Gyan

It was a goal the visitors deserved for their attacking approach and their willingness to play properly, rather than stroke the ball around in the half-hearted manner that so often typifies these games.

Their supporters deserved it too. Twenty-thousand strong and making enough noise to match, even marking Danny Welbeck’s England debut with deafening boos given he has rejected the chance to play for them.

But it spoiled Andy Carroll’s night.

Twenty-four hours after being told to curb his drinking by England coach Fabio Capello, Carroll should have been toasting his first senior international goal.

A Geordie who plays for Liverpool and wears the England No 9 shirt has a pretty formidable legacy to live up to.

And what a start he has made thanks to a pinpoint first-time finish to a well-crafted move.

But Ghana were not to be denied, which just made the accepted truth that has grown around England’s World Cup campaign even more of a myth.

Aside from the goal that never was in that fateful last-16 tie with Germany, the moment that shaped the Three Lions’ time in South Africa actually occurred in a game they did not feature in.

Up until Landon Donovan’s stoppage-time strike for the United States against Algeria, England were set for a meeting with Ghana and a direct route through to the semi-finals, such was the perceived ease of the draw.

That view underestimated Ghana’s abilities somewhat, as they eventually proved.

Despite keeping the same formation that served him so well against Wales, Capello discovered stand-in captain Gareth Barry did not have as much success in keeping Ghana at arm’s length as Scott Parker had done dealing with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

Gyan tested Joe Hart with a thunderous 40-yard drive, then got behind Phil Jagielka but failed to beat the England goalkeeper from much closer.

Hart nearly gifted the visitors a goal when he presented the ball to Gyan on the edge of the area with a misdirected clearance, only to save himself embarrassment by barring the Sunderland striker’s route to goal until reinforcements arrived.

He deserved that bit of fortune, though, having already turned away Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header with a splendid one-handed reaction save that required agility as well as skill on the basis Hart had been moving in the wrong direction as Sulley Muntari’s far-post free-kick arrived.

Yet England were far from outplayed.

Despite the pre-match moans about the players who were not at Wembley, those who were largely excelled.

Ashley Young in particular has enjoyed an excellent year as an England player, even if he will not want to watch any replays of the moment he slid forward to reach James Milner’s low cross but turned it onto the bar from four yards even though the goal was gaping.

Stewart Downing started that move, part of a man-of-the-match display, and the Aston Villa man should have scored himself in the opening minutes when he raced onto Milner’s through ball, only to screw his shot badly wide.

Young’s fiercely struck effort fizzed over the bar, too, in those breathless opening stages.

Indeed, as the first half drew to its conclusion, the only English offensive player who had not impressed was Carroll.

Much is expected of the young man with the £35m price tag even though it was only his second international appearance.

But he struggled to get himself in the right place at the right time, moving towards the far post when he should have been at the near and dropping back for a pass when the requirement was to go forward.

As it has always been with strikers, though, the currency by which they are judged is the number of times they find the net.

So, when Young clipped an excellent pass to the edge of the area and Downing’s attempt to control succeeded in prodding it straight into his path, Carroll seized on the opening and found the bottom corner of the net with deadly accuracy. And, as Carroll did little after the break of note until he was replaced by Jermain Defoe just before the hour, that was it.

He left the field to a standing ovation, though – his job done.

The entertainment continued – Young’s curling shot just wide at one end, Barry’s brave block of John Pantsil ‘seffort at the other, Jonathan Mensah sending a free header from the corner disappointingly wide, a fingertip save from Richard Kingson denying Milner, Gyan thrashing a shot into the side-netting.

England were within touching distance of victory when Gyan slalomed through their defence and equalised with a goal of the utmost individual brilliance.

After missing the penalty that would have given Africa its first World Cup semi-finalists nine months ago, no one can begrudge him that.

England: Hart, Johnson (Lescott 46), Cahill, Jagielka, Baines, Milner, Barry, Wilshere (Jarvis 69), Downing, Carroll (Defoe 59), Young (Welbeck 81). Unused substitutes: Green, Parker, Crouch, Bent, Carson.

Ghana: Kingson, Pantsil, Vorsah (Derek Boateng 46), John Mensah, Lee Addy (Opare 46), Adiyah (Tagoe 69), Annan (Jonathan Mensah 46), Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah (Inkoom 84), Muntari (Ayew-Dede 59), Gyan. Unused substitutes: Adjei, David Addy, Kumordzi, Clottey, Sowah.

Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey)