Jun 11, 2016 at 8pm UK at ​Stade Velodrome
England
1-1
Russia
Dier (73')
Cahill (62')
FT(HT: 0-0)

England boss Roy Hodgson refuses to criticise players

England manager Roy Hodgson speaks with his assistant coaches Ray Lewington and Gary Neville prior to kickoff against Russia on June 11, 2016
© Getty Images
England boss Roy Hodgson backs his team to bounce back from a disappointing 1-1 draw with Russia in their opening match of Euro 2016.

England boss Roy Hodgson has said that his team will 'accept the disappointment' of conceding a late equaliser in Saturday night's 1-1 draw with Russia at Euro 2016.

It did appear that Eric Dier's 73rd-minute free kick would secure three valuable points for the Three Lions in Group B, but Russian centre-back Vasili Berezutski levelled the scores with a looping header in the 92nd minute.

Hodgson refused to criticise his players when questioned on game management after the match and has insisted that he was pleased with his team's overall performance in Marseille.

"I think that when you dominate the game as much as we did and play as well as we did, when you concede a goal two minutes into injury time, of course it feels like a defeat rather than a draw. That is always the case with last-minute goals," Hodgson told ITV Sport.

"There were a lot of good things in our performance tonight. It was unfortunately a very, very good goal to equalise and we will have to accept that disappointment, digest it and move on. Our first-half performance was really good. The first 10 minutes of the second half we were getting pegged back, but we came to terms with that and looked totally in control once again.

"I was satisfied with the performance. I think that we deserved to win. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but we can take encouragement and I am hopeful that the mis-fortune of tonight will not happen again."

After the match, violence erupted inside the stadium when Russia fans attacked English supporters in the stands.

Eric Dier celebrates scoring during the Euro 2016 Group B game between England and Russia on June 11, 2016
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