Match Summary

Moldova Team

England Team

England began their World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion with a comprehensive thrashing of Moldova.  Right from the start England were positive and determined, spending most of the match on the front foot.  Within three minutes they were a goal up as good work by Steven Gerrard and James Milner set up Tom Cleverley with a chance.  The Manchester United player's first-time shot was blocked by Simion Bulgaru, but only with the use of a hand.  The referee had no hesitation and pointed immediately to the penalty spot.  Frank Lampard, as cool as you like, planted the ball wide of the keeper and it was 1-0.

It was great to see the England team all working hard at the same time, and it was soon obvious that there was only going to be one team in this match.  A brilliant burst by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain set up Jermaine Defoe but his weak side-foot effort went wide.  Defoe was looking lively though and he soon tested Stanislav Namasco in the home goal with another better effort that needed saving.  On 13 minutes the goalkeeper made another good save after he punched away a Milner cross only for Oxlade-Chamberlain to volley goalwards again.  This time Namasco pushed the ball around a post.  England retained possession well and when they did lose the ball, they quickly won it back from the home players.  Moldova had no real answer to the speed and the workrate of their visitors.  They had to wait until the 17th minute for their first effort on goal, but Artur Patras's harmless shot flew wide of Joe Hart's goal.

England produced lots of good passing movements and Leighton Baines made some excellent runs down the left, whilst Glen Johnson was always a threat going forward on the right.  Gerrard shot just over from a free-kick and then Hart was forced to make his first save following a shot by Alexandru Epureanu.  Back at the other end Johnson then cut inside to hit a good shot which the goalkeeper fumbled.  It seemed only a matter of time before we saw another goal and in the 29th minute it duly arrived.  A superb flighted cross into the area from Johnson found Lampard ghosting in 'Martin Peters like' to score with a header.  It was a fine goal, expertly made and finished.

A pleasing aspect of England's play was that they were not content with 2-0 and they pushed forward relentlessly against an overworked Moldova defence.  The impressive Cleverley shot just wide and then three minutes after the second goal England made it three.  This time Milner and Oxlade-Chamberlain combined, and the latter's clever pass set up Defoe for a turn and shot that went under the keeper's despairing dive.  It was a great way for the Tottenham man to celebrate his 50th cap and he could so easily have had a hat-trick in this game.  Twice more he came close to increasing England's lead before half-time, and the total dominance of the visitors was certainly emphasised in the scoreline.  Just before the break Hart, who had been largely a spectator, mis-punched a cross and the ball flew just wide of his own goal.  But that was a rare attack by Moldova and Roy Hodgson must have been delighted by his side's display. 

After the interval Michael Carrick came on for Gerrard, with Lampard taking the captain's armband, and England were soon pushing forward again.  More excellent play by Oxlade-Chamberlain set up Cleverley but again the finish was weak.  For a spell the game then developed into more of an end to end battle but neither side could find the sharpness up front.  Hodgson took off Oxlade-Chamberlain and replaced him with Theo Walcott.  England still had control of the match and Carrick, Milner and Johnson all produced some nice football.  Cleverley shot wide again on 66 minutes and then Defoe was replaced by Danny Welbeck as Hodgson looked to try something new.  After 70 minutes England were so much in control that another goal was the only way to show their superiority, and four minutes later it came.

A passing movement between Walcott, Cleverley and Welbeck seemed to have petered out, but Walcott's final pass was perfectly into the path of the onrushing Milner and the Manchester City player crashed home his first England goal.  It was well deserved because Milner had worked his socks off, as he always does, and it was great to see him score.

Moldova did try for a consolation goal but it was England who added another, seven minutes from the end, when Baines had a free-kick chance just outside the penalty area to the right of goal.  His left-footed shot took a wicked deflection off the defensive wall and he, too, registered his first goal in England colours as the ball looped beyond the flat-footed and frustrated Namasco. 

Other chances were created in the last five minutes of the match but a 5-0 win away from home gave England the perfect start to their latest World Cup campaign. en allowing for the weak opposition it was good to see an England team performing well throughout the side and as I have said many times before, if all the players play well at the same time we are a match for anyone.  Now we move on to Wembley and a visit from Ukraine in our second group match.  This will be a sterner test, of that there is no doubt, but England are certainly not short of confidence at the moment, so bring it on!
 

Source Notes