Goal hero tells press to 'Shut it'

FANS crowded bars and cafes to see England and France play out a drowsy draw in front of 46,000 fans as both sides got their Euro 2012 campaigns off to a low-key start.

England pulled into the lead through a 30th-minute header from Manchester City's Joleon Lescott and led until just six minutes before half-time when Lescott's Manchester City teammate Samir Nasri scored a superb equaliser from 20 metres.

However, although France had 15 shots on target against England's three they could not break a stolid England defence. French full-back, Manchester United's Patrice Evra, said later: "It sometimes seemed like there were 15 bodies on the pitch."

The EUFA man of the match award went to Nasri but it was not his goal that made him the centre of attraction after the game - because he was seen to celebrate by aiming an angry gesture towards the press box. He had held a finger to his mouth and shouted "Shut your mouth".

Team coach Laurent Blanc said later: "It's between him and his critics. It's a personal thing - and I don't want to get involved. He was delighted to have scored."

When asked later by a journalist from L'Equipe who he had been addressing, Nasri said "To you."

During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa the French team infamously staged a sit-in on the team bus after heavy criticism by the press of both players and head coach Raymond Domenech.

Screengrab from BFMTV