Kane double spares England’s blushes in Malta
>> VALLETTA: Harry Kane scored a brace to help Gareth Southgate’s lacklustre England to a 4-0 win over minnows Malta in their 2018 World Cup qualifier on Friday.
Kane opened the score early in the second-half but three goals inside the last 10 minutes put a brighter sheen on the result than the performance deserved.
Ryan Bertrand — with a long range effort barely acknowledged by a far from happy looking Southgate — Danny Welbeck and Kane at the death secured the points in Malta and keeps them top of Group F by two points from Slovakia.
However, the English — boasting players whose salaries and transfer fees dwarfed that of their opponents — will need to put up a far better display at home to the Slovakians tomorrow.
Kane, though, said people should realise that Malta had set out to stifle and frustrate England — it is the first time in three meetings an England side has beaten the Maltese by more than a goal. “Whenever you come away for games like this it is never going to be easy,” he told ITV.
“We were trying to break them down, they had 10 men behind the ball. We knew if we just kept moving it wide we would find the space.
“The manager makes his choices [Southgate started with just him up front], he puts the team out he thinks we will win the game and we won 4-0 so we have done the right job tonight.”
The England players’ woeful performance in the first half saw them exit the pitch at half-time to a cacophony of boos and jeers from their fans.
Southgate acted at half-time to remedy the lacklustre performance and took off Raheem Sterling sending on Manchester United youngster Marcus Rashford instead.
Kane broke the deadlock after 53 minutes earning a clap from Southgate more out of relief than joy.
England maintained their twopoint advantage over Slovakia, who beat visiting Slovenia 1-0.
Slovakia’s goal came in the 81st minute from Adam Nemec.
Scotland rose to third place above Slovenia by winning 3-0 in Lithuania.