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Theo Walcott and Raheem Sterling scored the goals as England took care of business against Estonia at Wembley

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Fri 9 Oct 2015 16.38 EDTFirst published on Fri 9 Oct 2015 13.45 EDT
Sterling scores the second goal.
Sterling scores the second goal. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Sterling scores the second goal. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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Full time at Wembley: England 2-0 Estonia

Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeep! It’s all over. England have won fairly easily against very ordinary opposition that brought little to the party. It wasn’t much of a spectacle, but a win is a win and England’s fiendish plan to go through qualification without dropping a point is still on track. They played well in spots, but a tendency towards the over-elaborate didn’t work too well for them. That said, Theo Walcott’s opener came at the end of just such a move, while Raheem Sterling’s second-half effort came from a far more direct approach. Onwards to Lithuania, where England conclude their progress through this group.

Joe Hart and Gary Cahill applaud their fans. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images
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90+2 min: Dele Alli tries to scoop the ball into the path of Jamie Vardy on the edge of the Estonia penalty area, but an Estonia defender intervenes to hoof clear.

90+1 min: We’re into the first of three minutes of added time and Ross Barkley is announced as the man of the match. I wouldn’t argue with that, but thought Adam Lallana played very well and was in with a shout too. Estonia win two corners in quick succession, but nothing comes of them.

89 min: It’s worth remembering that by winning tonight, as they surely will, England guarantee themselves a place in the pot of top seeded teams for the Euro 2016 draw. This will, of course, ensure they avoid other top seeded teams in the group stages.

88 min: England substitution: Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli comes on for his England debut, with Ross Barkley making way after another fine performance. He’s in the form of his life.

86 min: That was straight out of the Route One handbook. Harry Kane flicked on a long punt from Joe Hart, Vardy read his intention and got in behind the Estonia defence and squared the ball perfectly into the path of Sterling who was up in support.

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GOAL! England 2-0 Estonia (Sterling 84)

Good play from Vardy, who unselfishly plays the ball across the face of Estonia’s goal to tee up Raheem Sterling for a tap-in, when he could have been forgiven for shooting himself.

Sterling score his second. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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83 min: Sander Puri does well down the left, creating a bit of space for himself and curling a shot high and wide when perhaps he should have crossed.

82 min: With less than 10 minutes to go, England make another change. England’s goalscorer Theo Walcott makes way for Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, who is on for his Wembley debut.

80 min: Sterling goes close to making me look a complete idiot after controlling a cross from the right. He turns this way and that in an effort to work himself into a shooting position from about 14 metres out, but is thwarted by tenacious defending from Jaager, who’s played well for Estonia tonight.

Sterling has an unsuccessful shot. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
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79 min: Sterling curls a shot wide after good work down the left. He’s not had one of his better games, has Raheem. His touch has looked a little off and his passing a little heavy.

76 min: Ross Barkley almost obliges, only to be denied by a splendid save. More patient passing around the fringes of the Estonia box, leads to Ross Barkley being picked out on the edge of the area. He shows great feet to soft-shoe shuffle his way into a shooting possession, but his right-footed surface to air screamer is palmed out for a corner by Mihkel Aksall. That’s a great effort and an equally fine save. Nothing comes of the ensuing set-piece.

74 min: Artur Pikk trips Theo Walcott and is booked for his troubles. That’s the first yellow card of the evening, which will give you some idea of the level of aggression and full-blooded needle on show. England could and should completely kill this game off with another goal.

72 min: Move along, nothing to see here at the moment. In the absence of much second half entertainment on the pitch, the crowd have decided to amuse themselves by sending a Mexican wave around Wembley, while the England band have struck up yet another tedious rendition of England Til I Die.

69 min: Estonia double substitution: Sander Puri on for Ats Purje and Joel Lindpere on for Aleksandr Dmitrijev. Interesting fact: Sander Puri plays for Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland.

66 min: An email from James Bridge: “England wilt, when up against a technical side,” he says. “And it starts at the grass roots, Barry. Since Estonia implemented ‘Koormuuria’ in the late 90’s. A playing philosophy that embraces the 70’s Dutch attacking style, allied with the defensive pragmatism of the late 90’s Stockport County. Estonia have become the powerhouse of Baltic football, and it is only now that the foresight and intelligence of Hilju Kuusma and Ivan Huuntein, and their single mindedness as Chair and Vice Chair of the Tartu FUAC can be seen. Only through them and their ideals can Estonia perform to this aspirational level. Truly Barry, a Mouse Can Roar.” Well, if nothing else, you can’t fault James’s optimism.

65 min: Gary Cahill lands in a heap after contesting a high ball with Ats Purje and looks to have done a mischief to his elbow. It looked a serious injury, with the player landing heavily on it from quite a height, but he’s fit to continue. I’m not sure Jose Mourinho will be impressed to see him soldiering on.

Cahill lands in a heap. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images
and winces as he holds his arm after landing funny. Photograph: Joe Toth/BPI/Rex Shutterstock
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63 min: Elsewhere in Group E, Slovenia lead Lithuania 1-0, while Switzerland are two goals up against scoreless San Marino. Estonia’s already faint hopes of securing a play-off berth look doomed.

61 min: Nathaniel Clyne slashes the ball high and wide with a wild shot from just outside the Estonia penalty area. It was a rather ill-fitting climax to a passage of play in which various other England players had attempt a more intricate approach to one-two-ing their way through the Estonia defence.

58 min: Artur Pikk picks out Ats Purje in the England penalty area and the Estonia man goers to ground with Chris Smalling having barged into him. He had a decent shout for a penalty, in my opinion. He didn’t get one.

57 min: Sterling gets past Teniste on the left wing and attmpets to pull the ball back into the penalty area for Theo Walcott. Ken Kaliste leaps to clear.

Sterling skips over the tackle from Teniste. Photograph: Jordan Mansfield/The FA via Getty Images
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56 min: Estonia don’t really seem to have turned up at Wembley with a Plan A, let alone a Plan B or C ... they look completely bereft of imagination and can consider themselves very fortunate to be just one goal down. With less faff and more clinical finishing, England could be four or five up.

54 min: Another chance for Barkley, who sends a shot fizzing across the face of the Estonia goal and narrowly wide. On this occasion he showed the poise and balance of a ballerina, nimbly dancing past three Estonia defenders before unleashing a pile-driver with his right foot.

53 min: Ross Barkley trips over his own feet under pressure from a defender as he powers his way into the Estonia penalty area and attempts to get the ball onto his left foot and create a shooting opportunity. The crowd appeal for a penalty, but none is forthcoming. Good decision by the referee.

51 min: Another good chance for England. Lallana has a shot saved, but the rebound drops nicely for Harry Kane. Again the striker is thwarted as goalkeeper Mihkel Aksall saves Estonia’s bacon.

48 min: Marked tightly by Enaar Jaager, Harry Kane attempts to score with a volley after getting on the end of a wonderful cross from Nathaniel Clyne. He scuffs the ball with the sole of his right foot, it promptly clanks of his standing leg and a good chance goes begging.

Kanehits it on the volley, but scuffs it. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP
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46 min: Raheem Sterling picks up the ball in the corner after failing to chest down a cross from Walcott on the right. With a defender in close proximity, he wins the ball but fails to keep it in play, then appeals for and doesn’t get a corner.

Estonia kick-off at Wembley for the second half

That goal in the final minute of the first half will have been like a dagger through the heart of the poor sods. They were outclassed in the opening 45 minutes, relying more on England’s inability to score rather than any stout defending of their own to keep the scoreboard operator idle for the first 44 minutes.

They’ll do well to avoid shipping another two or three in this second half, particularly as fatigue from constantly chasing the ball begins to set in. There don’t appear to be any changes on either side after the interval.

An email from Sarah Rothwell

“As luck would have it, I find myself following your MBM, replete with mentions of Raheem Sterling, while next to my computer is my LFC 2015 wall calendar,” she says. “The player pictured for October? Yes, you’ve guessed it. I did actually consider jumping straight to November, such was my disappointment.”

Well Sarah, after today’s unveiling, you could always just print off the picture below, cut out the face and stick it over Raheem’s face. That would surely bring a smile to your own visage every day for the rest of the month.

Liverpool’s new Mr October. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Half-time at Wembley: England 1-0 Estonia

England go off after opening the scoring with a fine goal. Ross Barkley was the delivery man there, providing a wonderful assist with a wonderfully threaded pass through the penalty area and into the path of Walcott, who expertly dispatched the ball past Aksalu and into the bottom corner. The build-up play was superb too, showcasing much of the trickery and sleight of mind that England were trying earlier with considerably less success.

GOAL! England 1-0 Estonia (Walcott 45)

Theo Walcott does well to stay onside and score into the bottom right-hand corner after pouncing on a sensational pass into the penalty area that took out three Estonia defenders.

Walcott scores. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images
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43 min: With the crowd noise in Wembley barely above a low murmur as we approach the interval, England work their way down the left wing. And what’s this ...

39 min: An England corner, which Lallana plays to Walcott on the edge of the penalty area. The ball’s played to the left, where Milner and Lallana work the ball into the box, picking out a run from Lallana. He shoots low and hard towards the near post from a good position about 13 or 14 metres out, but his effort is blocked by Ragnar Klavan.

36 min: Estonia enjoy some possession just inside the England half, but look bereft of ideas about what to do next. They move the ball backwards or from side to side, but rarely forward. They need somebody to take responsibility and attempt to grab what passes for their game by the scruff. Midfielder Aleksandr Dmitrijev has looked their best player thus far. Certainly the most creative of an as yet fairly uninspired looking bunch.

35 min: James Milner tries to pick out Harry Kane with a curling delivery into the Estonia penalty area. Rising to meet the ball with his head, Kane shoves his marker Enaar Jaager in the back and is spotted by the referee. Free-kick for Estonia.

Kane, missed chance. Photograph: Michael Regan/The FA via Getty Images
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34 min: I mentioned that a more agricultural approach was required and who better to deliver than no-nonsense yeoman James Milner. He’s teed up by Harry Kane a few yards outside the penalty area and leathers a shot wide of the Estonia goal.

30 min: Estonia enjoy the beginning of a purple patch, with Ats Purje looking dangerous, only to get the ball stuck under his feet in the penalty area and gifting England’s defenders the opportunity to hack clear. Moments later, Chris Smalling does well to put the ball out for a corner rather than volley it past his own goalkeeper, while dealing with a dangerous Aleksandr Dmitrijev cross from the left.

28 min: Criticism corner: Theo Walcott’s been a bit quite so far, while Raheem Sterling’s passing has been rather erratic, to say the least. Collectively, England have been a little over-elaborate when perhaps a more direct approach might have served them better. On other occasions, it would infuriate their supporters, but in a match of such little consequence it hardly matters.

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