Match Summary

England Team

San Marino Team

When England have to play these sort of games, they really are on a hiding to nothing, and they can't win whatever they do.  If they win easily with a big score, then it was all that was expected of them.  Anything less than a big win and they are pilloried from all quarters!  Such was the situation when San Marino once again visited Wembley.  The group minnows, and I do mean minnows, were there for the taking, and all England had to do to win was to turn up it would seem.  But that is not how it works and England prepared in the same professional manner as though they were playing against Germany.  The players had to do a job, and that is exactly what happened.

Right from the kick-off possession was almost continuously England's, and they began by playing from side to side, trying to find gaps in what was a blanket defence from San Marino.  The first chance fell to Wayne Rooney and the skipper's shot was saved by goalkeeper Aldo Simoncini.  Almost immediately Danny Welbeck saw a shot deflected wide and even after just ten minutes it was easy to see the pattern of this particular match.  On 15 minutes it was Raheem Sterling who almost broke the deadlock, before being flagged offside.  The minutes ticked by with England probing from side to side trying to break through.  When the players turned inside, as they invariably did, they were crowded out by the massed ranks of the San Marino eleven.

Rooney, lively throughout, forced another good save from Simoncini and then the goalkeeper made a fine save, tipping Sterling's effort around a post after the winger had latched on to a long through ball.  The 24th minute corner that resulted from Sterling's shot finally brought England the breakthrough they needed to settle the nerves.  James Milner's corner was met by Phil Jagielka, and his header only had to be on target to score.  It was.  The goalkeeper had come out and tripped over the leg of Luca Tosi, who was back trying to help his defence.  Simoncini was lying on the turf as Jagielka's header went in.

If there was any criticism of England during this first half hour it was in the fact that the build-up was slow and laborious, and that gave the visitors ample time to regroup in defence.  On 28 minutes though, a good move involving Kieron Gibbs, Welbeck and Jordan Henderson ended with another shot desperately blocked.

Milner, playing a crucial role in the diamond shape Roy Hodgson was using, was very careless with some of his passing, as were some other England players.  It was all too easy for England and this led to some lackadaisical play at times. en then though, the chances still came thick and fast.  Gary Cahill missed a header from Milner's free-kick, Jack Wilshere and Welbeck both should have done better when Henderson sent in a good cross and then both Sterling and Henderson had runs blocked.  Milner compounded his poor performance so far with a needless booking on 36 minutes and then six minutes later Simoncini made a superb save from Welbeck's header, somehow scooping the ball out for a corner.

From the corner kick though, England were given a chance to add to their one goal.  The ball bobbed about in the area and as Rooney went for a header he almost had his head kicked off by the flying dangerous boot of Andy Selva.  The referee quite rightly awarded a penalty kick.  Rooney lashed home his shot to take him to 42 goals, now within two of Jimmy Greaves in the England goalscoring list.

So the half ended with England totally in control, two goals up, but not entirely convincing and as the second half started Hodgson replaced Henderson and Sterling with Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as he tried to seek something a little different.  To the manager's credit his changes had an immediate effect.  The two players sent on showed a more positive approach and both were soon involved in dangerous attacks.  San Marino went from being rather comfortable in defence to being stretched and a little more ragged.

On 49 minutes Oxlade-Chamberlain won the ball on the right-wing and strode to the bye-line.  He pulled the ball back and Welbeck was in like a shot to beat the keeper to the ball and fire home number three.  England at this stage were rampant and Rooney had a header saved, Welbeck won a corner and Oxlade-Chamberlain saw a fine shot go just wide.  Milner was still giving the ball away far too easily but Wilshere was now finding his passing range.  On 58 minutes a fine pass by Rooney gave Oxlade-Chamberlain a headed chance, which the keeper saved.  Three minutes later and Wilshere picked out Rooney with the pass of the night, only for the skipper to under-hit his attempted lob.  Almost immediately England did find the net again as Oxlade-Chamberlain's shot was deflected past Simoncini by Lallana.  The referee at first gave a goal but then disallowed it after consulting a linesman.  The joy of scoring his first international goal was obvious on Lallana's face, until the decision changed and the Liverpool player was left disappointed.  Surely though, that goal will eventually come.

As the game went into the final third it was all one-way traffic.  Andros Townsend came on for Welbeck and he set up Wilshere for a header, again saved by the overworked keeper.  Another fine pass by Wilshere sent Rooney through again, but Simoncini saved again, and then, on 72 minutes, came the best goal of the night.  Townsend received possession from Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right, cut inside, and unleashed a fine left-foot shot that beat the keeper at his near post.  A minute later, to ironic cheers, Joe Hart had to make his first save of the night, in fact it was almost his only meaningful touch.

Lallana tried again to break his duck, but the keeper saved and then a series of one-two's almost led to another chance, alas it was scrambled clear.  The pressure was now relentless and with 13 minutes to go Rooney tried to centre from the right only to see the ball glance off Alessandro Delle Valle's chest and wide of his unfortunate keeper for an own goal.  Still the chances came in waves and Rooney could have easily had five or six on the night.  A volley went wide and another header was saved.  Then yet another header was saved, after Gibbs had a shot blocked, and Rooney again shot wide before Townsend hit another screamer that was cleared off the line by Christian Brolli.

And that was about it.  England had over 50 attempts at goal, with 34 on target.  On another  it could have been a record score!  All credit to Hodgson and his players, the manager for his substitutions and the players for doing exactly what they had to do.  Now it was on to Tallin and the next match against Estonia.
   

Source Notes