Five-star England head for South Africa in style

Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard grabbed two goals each as England booked their place in next year’s World Cup in style with a convincing 5-1 win over Croatia at Wembley on Wednesday.

Wayne Rooney’s ninth goal of the qualifying campaign completed the humiliation of a Croatian side that was a pale shadow of the one that had denied England a place at Euro 2008 with a famous victory here two years ago.

Ukraine’s goalless draw in Belarus earlier in the evening had ensured Fabio Capello’s men kicked off knowing a draw would be enough to send them to South Africa.

Deprived by injury of both their principal playmaker, Luka Modric, and their main defensive organiser, Vedran Corluka, Croatia would probably have been glad to settle for such an outcome.

That was quickly rendered a remote prospect however as a combination of Aaron Lennon’s penetration and some slipshod defending helped England seize control in little over quarter of an hour.

Having survived one good penalty shout for handball by centreback Ivica Krizanac, Croatia found themselves behind after Lennon, cutting into the box at speed but going away from goal, was felled by Josip Simunic. No argument was possible and Lampard’s spot-kick was swept low past Vedran Runje’s right hand.

Promoted to the starting line-up at the expense of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Lennon was clearly in the mood to establish himself as Capello’s first-choice option on the right flank, a fine cutback allowing Gareth Barry to force Runje into the first of a string of fine, first-half saves.

An isolated half-chance for the Croatians saw Mario Mandzukic’s shot on the turn float comfortably over Robert Green’s bar and England responded immediately by sweeping upfield to double their lead.

Lennon got clear on the right and, with the visitors having failed to pick up Gerrard’s run to the back post, presented the Liverpool midfielder with the simplest of headed finishes.

The Croatians’ body language suggested that was game over and, but for the excellence of Runje, England would have been out of sight by half-time.

Having beaten out Lampard’s 40-yard free kick, the Lens goalkeeper denied Lennon and Emile Heskey twice in one-on-ones to prevent what could, and with better finishing would have been, an even more embarrassing rout.

It would have been scarcely deserved, but Croatia might have been handed a lifeline ten minutes into the second period, when Glen Johnson appeared to hold down Arsenal forward Eduardo in an aerial challenge inside the six-yard box.

Three minutes later, England killed the contest after Spanish referee Alberto Mallenco’s good decision to allow play to carry on after Lennon had been crudely cut down handed Johnson the chance to wriggle his way to the byline.

The Liverpool defender’s cross was tailor-made for Lampard to nod in his sixth goal in his last seven outings for his country.

Not to be outdone by his midfield rival, Gerrard was soon sending Rooney to the byline before advancing into the box to head home the forward’s chip for England’s fourth.

In keeping with the tone of the evening, even Croatia’s consolation goal had a positive aspect to it for England with Green making a fine save to keep out Eduardo’s header before, after a follow-up effort had been blocked, the Arsenal striker stabbed home from close range.

A miserable night for Croatia was compounded with 12 minutes left when the otherwise blameless Runje wildly sliced an attempted clearance from a backpass, presenting Rooney with an open goal for England’s fifth.