England 5-0 San Marino: Three Lions Warm Up For Estonia With Thumping Win

England secured a second successive win in European Championship qualifying after overcoming minnows San Marino in front of the lowest crowd for a competitive international at the new Wembley Stadium.

Phil Jagielka had the hosts ahead after 24 minutes before Wayne Rooney's 42<sup>nd international goal from the penalty spot doubled the lead.

Danny Welbeck struck his seventh goal in his last eight matches for club and country four minutes after the interval before substitute Andros Townsend's thumping strike and Alessandro Della Valle's own goal finalised preparations for the visit to Estonia on Sunday.

Victory sends Roy Hodgson's team top of Group E on goal difference but a stuttering and at times uncertain display against a nation in San Marino who are ranked 208<sup>th in Fifa's world rankings will again draw questions over England's progression since the World Cup.

Though facing a San Marino team with a solidity international win in their history, Hodgson named a full strength team with the aim of recapturing the form which saw them swat away Switzerland last month.

Calum Chambers' first England start was one of three alterations made from the 2-0 win in Basel, with Kieran Gibbs and James Milner both starting in the hope of impressing ahead of the weekend's second qualifier against Estonia.

Up against a team made up of shop workers, students and lawyers Hodgson had called upon his side to produce a performance to continue the rebuilding process following the World Cup in front of a crowd of 55,990 – another record low at the newly built Wembley.

Adopting a diamond in midfield which worked so effectively against Switzerland, with Raheem Sterling given a free role in behind Welbeck and Rooney, the hosts produced a flurry of early chances.

Rooney was twice denied by Aldo Simoncini and Sterling's effort was beaten behind before England got the breakthrough as the San Marino goalkeeper was tripped by Gary Cahill, allowing Jagielka to head into an empty net.

With the game effectively over as a contest, given San Marino's inspid scoring record of 20 goals in their 123-game international history, the atmosphere inside Wembley quickly resembled a pre-season friendly with Mexican waves the primary entertainment for a subdued crowd.

The mood did temporarily improve just two minutes before the break however as Rooney won a penalty after a foul from Andy Selva, and converted with aplomb to double the advantage.

And with just four minutes of a second half gone England put themselves on course for a rout as half-time substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pick-pocketed Manuel Battistini and crossed for Welbeck to tap home.

As San Marino continued to be feeble in possession, England sustained their attacking dominance and should have had a fourth but Simoncini brilliantly clawed away Oxlade-Chamberlain's header and then caught Rooney's chip.

Adam Lallana, who replaced Raheem Sterling at the break, was then denied his first international goal by the officials after he was wrongly adjudged to have deflected in Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal-bound effort from an offside position.

But it was another substitute who did extend England's lead as Townsend, six minutes after replacing Welbeck, smashed home from outside the box in his first international appearance since March.

The win was capped in the fashion which summed up the disjointed England performance as Rooney's wayward cross was deflected into his own net by Della Valle as San Marino were subject to another thrashing.