It’s closing time here, fair readers, but the cool people are heading over to David Hytner’s match report to discuss today’s action, Sunday’s final and the ever-popular topics of contact and on-pitch morality in football. Everybody loves ratings - I’d go so far as to give them 9 out of 10 - and here are Nick Ames’ marks for the players’ performances today: Here is Jacob Steinberg on Gareth Southgate’s role in all this caper: Kane speaks “For once it fell our way today. Credit to the boys, what a performance. After going 1-0 down, we responded really well. We controlled the game. ... Obviously it wasn’t the penalty I wanted to execute, it went lower than I thought but it bounced back to me ... It’s one of the proudest moment of my life for sure. But we haven’t won it yet, we’ve got one more game to go.” Behold! David Hytner’s match report is here: “Sometimes, your luck is just in, you catch a break when you most need it and, after so much major tournament semi-final heartache, England finally got something to go their way and, in the process, one of these suffocatingly high tension encounters to follow suit....” “It’s a great day for fans of the English language,” writes TwinsinFrance. “Learning so many synonyms: soft, dodgy, generous…. #ForzaAzzurri.” Southgate"s verdict “I’m so proud of the players. It was an incredible occasion to be part of. We knew it wouldn’t be straight-forward. We said to the player we’’re going to have to at some point come back from setbacks ... the most pleasing thing is we’ve given our fans and our nation a fantastic night and the journey carries on for another four days ... There’s one more massive hurdle to try to conquer. [Italy] are a very good side. They’ve shown outstanding form and have defensive warriors at the back who have been through everything. It’s something to look forward to. ... Finals are to be won.” Asked about the penalty decision, he says: “I honestly haven’t see it again but I thought Raheem was a real thorn in their side all night.” Sterling speaks “We had to dig in deep. Its the first time we conceded in the tournament and I thought we showed good spirit to come back and win the game ... We knew with the legs we have, the aggression and the power, we’d eventually break them down.” As for the penalty decision, he says: “I went into the box and he stuck his right leg out and he touched my leg so it’s a penalty.” It’s sad if brushing a leg is justification for a penalty these days. The mails in my inbox right now can be divided into three categories: (a) those acclaiming Sterling for a brilliant general performance (b) those accusing him of duping the referee for the penalty and (c) the balanced ones, which say both. Denmark, understandably dejected, applaud - and are applauded by - their fans behind the goal. They’ve had a tournament to be proud of and were unlucky in parts today, especially with the penalty decision and being reduced to 10 men in extra-time because of Jensen’s injury after they’d used their subs. But England were dominant even before that. And now all the players and backroom staff are signing Sweet Caroline with the Wembley crowd. Full-time: England 2-1 Denmark England have reached the final of a major football tournament for the second time in their history! They will face Italy on Sunday for the right to call themselves European champions for the first time! Kane’s winning goal was scruffy, from a dodgy penalty, but England don’t care! 120 min: Sterling, still dangerous, zooms into the box and tries to finish off Denmark, but Schmeichel makes a vital save to deny him. 118 min: The crowd are oléing as England keep the ball away from the depleted Danes ... 117 min: Trippier takes the ball into the corner at the other end to run down the clock ... 116 min: Denmark are pushing ... even though they’ve lost Jensen to injury, leaving them a man down as well as a goal down ... 115 min: Wass sends in a dangerous corner. Kane rises inside his own six-yard box and nuts the ball to safety. 114 min: Chance! Braithwaite spins around Stones and opens fire from 20 yards. Pickford paws it out for a corner! 113 min: Sterling, England’s best attacker again today, leads a counter after a period of blunt Danish pressure. It comes to nothing but eats up some precious time at the right end. 110 min: Shaw shanks an attempted clearance from a cross by Poulsen. Denmark regain possession mid-way inside the English half. They continue to look for an opening, with more than a hint of desperation... 109 min: Denmark are not lying down. They’re trying to rally. But England are looking comfortable ... at the moment ... 108 min: Andersen tries to arrow a pass from deep to Braithwaite. It flies over the English defence ... and out for a goalkick. 106 min: The Danes get irate with the ref after he gives England another soft freekick in midfield. “British cinema is alive and well,” thunders Robert Wahlström. Whatever could he be referring to? England substitution: Trippier on, Grealish off - apparently to accommodate a tactical shift rather than for an injury. Half-time in extra-time: England 2-1 Denmark It was a soft penalty award following a calculated fall by Sterling, then came a feeble spotkick by Kane, but fortune favoured England and their striker slotted in the rebound. They have been the dominant side in extra-time, though. And now they may be just 15 minutes from the European Championship finals... Denmark substitution: Wind on Vestergaard off. GOAL! England 2-1 Denmark (Kane 104) Kane sidefoots the penalty to the keeper’s left ... Schmeichel goes that way and saves it! But luck is on Kane’s side and the rebound falls to him. He taps it into the net from six yards! The penalty stands Kane picks up the ball and makes his way to the spot ... Penalty to England? Sterling made a brilliant incursion down the right and into the box before going down under a challenge by Maehle. The ref poitns to the spot ... but there’ll be a VAR review. And the replay doesn’t show much contact between Maehle and Sterling ... 101 mins: Foden’s corner is cleared by Wass at the near post. 98 min: A chorus of “It’s Coming Home” goes up around Wembley, as England fans sense the vulnerability of the the visitors and try to urge their team on to press home their advantage. But Denmark are holding on in there for now ... 96 min: It’s constant pressure from England! Denmark are having to strain every sinew to repel crosses and foil dribbles. Then Stones has a header from a corner cleared from in front of the line! And Sterling then curls a shot over from the edge of the area. England are not so much knocking on the door as pounding on it ... England substitutions: Henderson and Foden on; Rice and Mount off. 93 min: Walker, largely quiet as an attacking force today, fires a lovely pass through for Kane, who hits it on the run from right, about eight yards. Schmeichel gets down to push it out in front of goal ... and a defender clears it before anyone from England could pounce. 92 min: Play has resumed at a pace that suits the tired Danes more than England. Full-time: England 1-1 Denmark. Extra-time to follow ... Denmark were almost clinging on towards the end of normal time; they’re very obviously tired, almost there for the taking. Can England seize their chance in extra-time? 90+5 min: Kane falls to the ground to get another freekick wide on the right. Mount curls it high beyond the far post. To Maguire, as ever. The centreback does well to get his head on it but it’s a straight-forward save for Schmeichel. 90+4 min: Sterling makes gains down the right. Then he feeds Kane at the edge of the area. The striker lays it back for Phillips, who lifts his shot from 20 yards over the bar. 90+2 min: Denmark can’t get the ball. But England can’t pick a way through them. But nor are they going away. They’re patient. They’re probing. But when they go for the killer pass, pesky Danes just keep getting in the way ... 90 min: There will be at least six minutes of time added on. England are penning Denmark back ... 88 min: Vestergaard is punished for shoving as he waited for the corner to reach him.