England demolished San Marino in a preposterously one sided qualification game for FIFA World Cup 2014.
Games between so-called minnows and more established sides seem to depend on how long the former can hold out their defensive efforts. The longer the smaller side can keep out the other team at bay, the more they can grow in confidence whilst frustrating their opponents – and sometimes even eke out a result.
However, the flipside of that once the bigger team takes the lead, the floodgates often open, and that was the case here.
England secured their biggest win since 1987 with a clinical performance, but were given a helping hand by Alessandro Della Valle, who fired Leighton Baines’ cross brilliantly into his own net after just twelve minutes.
After that, it was plain sailing for England, and goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jermain Defoe, Ashley Young, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge followed – with Defoe grabbing a second late on to conclude the scoring.
It is safe to say that England’s next game away to Montenegro will provide much more food for thought for manager Roy Hodgson.
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