Soccer: England disappoint in goalless draw

England's Wayne Rooney is booked by referee Tom Ovrebo (L) during the match against Israel. Photo / Reuters

TEL AVIV - Israel and England played out a disappointing 0-0 draw in their Euro 2008 Group E qualifying match today to leave both frustrated and denting their hopes of reaching the finals in Austria and Switzerland next year.

Neither team came close to scoring, although England's Jamie Carragher shaved the bar with a header in the 69th minute and Micah Richards and Jermain Defoe had the ball in the net three times late in the match from offside positions.

England showed a little more intensity in the early parts of the second half of an otherwise dull match.

Israel held their own in the first half and Toto Tamuz had two good chances within two minutes, the first a 17-metre low shot in the 27th minute from the left which forced England goalkeeper Paul Robinson to stretch to collect, and the second a header in the 29th which went wide.

England's early threats came from a speedy Aaron Lennon run in the ninth minute with a shot which went well over the bar and two soft headers from Wayne Rooney in the 18th minute and from Frank Lampard in the 22nd minute.

- REUTERS