England eliminated Sweden from the European Championship yesterday after Theo Walcott scored one goal and set up another for an entertaining come-from-behind 3-2 win.

Sweden had erased a halftime deficit to take a 2-1 lead as they desperately pushed for a victory, but Walcott came on as a substitute and made it 2-2 in the 64th minute and then set up Danny Welbeck for the winner in the 78th.

Walcott broke into the area and picked out Welbeck, who flicked a backheel past a diving Andreas Isaksson to give England its first win over Sweden in a competitive game in eight tries.

England only need a draw against Ukraine in their last game to advance. The result may also silence some of the critics who thought the team has become too defensive under coach Roy Hodgson as they proved that they can score goals when they need to.

Sweden, for their part, let a second-half lead slip away for the second game in a row after falling 2-1 to Ukraine in their opener. While the Swedes put in a much-improved performance on Friday, they once again failed to shut their opponents down defensively.

Andy Carroll had given England the halftime lead with a powerful header in the 23rd minute as Sweden was again exposed in the air, demonstrating exactly why Hodgson elected to start the tall Liverpool forward up front.

But Sweden fought back through an unlikely source in Mellberg, whose shot past Joe Hart was pushed into the net by Glen Johnson.

Walcott then started the English comeback when a corner was headed out to the Arsenal winger outside the area and his shot somehow fooled Isaksson, who was falling the wrong way and flailing with his arms as he watched the ball fly into the middle of the net.