2014 World Cup qualifier: England v San Marino full-time report

Wayne Rooney scores England's third goal

England achieved what they set out to do by beating San Marino 5-0 in their 2014 World Cup qualifying match against San Marino at Wembley.

But they made it look hard work at times.

This Group H match was England’s first in the post-John Terry era, but few believed that his absence would be much noticed against opposition rated as the joint-worst in international football who had lost their previous 57 competitive matches.

Roy Hodgson, the England coach, made six changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Ukraine in September.

Wayne Rooney was captain in the absence of the suspended Steven Gerrard and injured Frank Lampard while Hodgson did not play those others who were on a yellow card. Ashley Cole was also “rested” in favour of Leighton Baines with the reason being that Hodgson wanted “to keep one or two players up our sleeve for Tuesday's game [against Poland].” Oh, and keep Cole’s sleeve – and hand – well away from that of David Bernstein, the Football Association chairman, at the pre-match handshake which was the end of the pleasantries.

Aldo Simoncini, the San Marino goalkeeper, had conceded 114 during his 26-match international career which included an own goal by his twin brother, the centre-back, Davide.

Simoncini might not be very good a stopping shots but he stopped Theo Walcot in his tracks with an X-rated challenge that might have been best described as common assault.

This was beyond being a must-win game for England as evidenced by the groan that greeted each misplaced pass of a side that was almost too eager. San Marino were living dangerously at times and for much of the first 20 minutes the limits of their ambitions and their 18-yard line were one and the same.

England were trying weave a way through a defence of the last-ditch disposition but was enough to frustrate their opponents into attempting long-range shots. The possession statistics would have been embarrassing against any other side but it was England who were beginning to blush against a team who had only reached 0-0 at half-time three times before in a competitive match.

They managed 30 minutes – albeit including the lengthy break while Walcott was attended to be medical staff- but should not have gone past the 32nd minute. Tom Cleverley’s floated cross was met by Wayne Rooney’s diving header which went the wrong side of the post. Two minutes later Simoncini acrobatic – if totally ineffectual - when Michael Carrick’s 30-yard drive hit the crossbar and Danny Welbeck’s follow up struck the post.

But Simoncini was back to clumsy when he brought Welbeck down in the 35th minute. Wayne Rooney stepped up to take the penalty which was his 30th goal for England in 77 appearances and Welbeck made it 2-0 seven minutes later with a deft back-flick – a reprise of his goal against Sweden in Euro 2012 – as both the Manchester United strikers scored their first goals of the season.

England looked a more relaxed team now but, in truth, there had been no great change to the overall pattern of the match. England did not seem to have a Plan B as San Marino scented what would be a classed as a moral victory.

A smart interchange between Welbeck and Carrick early in the second half ended with a poor finish by Carrick and, as the hour-mark passed, a free-kick from Baines whistled over Simoncini’s bar.

The growing thought was whether teams like Spain or Germany would have labored so much for so little reward?

Some might have preferred England to fall back on a more direct approach but that would have been a poor response from a team ranked fifth in the world. Danilo Rinaldi interrupted such ponderings when he broke away with the ball and then promptly sent it wide of Joe Hart’s goal but San Marino could add that to what was becoming a good night by their standards.

That changed when Rooney latched on to a loose ball that Simoncini never got close to as England went 3-0 ahead in the 70th minute and Welbeck followed up again two minutes later but had saved the best for last in the 77th minute.

Baines, who looked well worth his place, cut in from the left and found Cleverley who in turn passed to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin. The winger did not have much room to work with, but he manufactured a delightful chip over Simoncini.

If only the rest of England’s performance could have matched that.

Roy Hodgson: ‘There could have been a lot more goals’
Wales v Scotland full-time report
Germany hit Ireland for six

Paul Wheeler

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