England booed off as Spain win

Spain substitute Andres Iniesta cracked a superb winner as they beat a toothless England 1-0 in an international friendly on Wednesday.

Iniesta decided the game with a dipping shot from outside the area in the 63rd minute and England, without a win in four games, were booed off at the final whistle by a disgruntled Old Trafford crowd.

England huffed and puffed for much of the match, but carved out only one clearcut scoring chance which striker Peter Crouch missed towards the end of the first half.

The defeat marks another disappointment for England coach Steve McClaren, whose Euro 2008 qualifying campaign in Group E has been hit by a home draw with Macedonia and a defeat in Croatia.

England, looking to avenge a 1-0 friendly defeat in Madrid in November 2004, when their players suffered racist abuse by the home fans, had been quick to settle.

Kieron Dyer looked fairly sharp in an attacking trident with Peter Crouch and a disappointing Shaun Wright-Phillips, as England continued their experiment with 4-3-3.

Yet Spain, confident on the ball, fired the first shot in anger when David Villa rifled into debutant keeper Ben Foster's side-netting and they should have gone 1-0 up in the 18th minute.

Villa started the move and when the ball was fed through by Miguel Angel Angulo to Fernando Morientes, the former Liverpool striker fired over the top from close range.

Yet for all the Spaniards' style going forward and determined tracking back, the only other scoring chance of the half fell to England.

GERRARD CAPTAIN

Steven Gerrard, captain for the night in the absence of the rested John Terry, flicked forward a superb ball for Crouch, who sent his effort horribly wide from inside the area.

Spain coach Luis Aragones made a rash of substitutions after the break, with Morientes making way for Fernando Torres, who injected real bite into the attack.

Villa tested Foster with a ferocious shot from distance, forcing a fine diving save from England's reserve keeper.

A goal was on the cards and it came when Villa's cross from the left eluded England's defence and Iniesta had time to trap it and send a curling shot over Foster.

McClaren responded with more substitutions, but England have now scored only one goal in their last four games, in a 1-1 friendly draw in the Netherlands.