Kane ends barren run with opener in easy England win
Kane 38, Mount 63
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Harrykane'sfirstinternational goal in 16 months helped England on their way to a comfortable victory in Albania as World Cup qualification continued without a hitch for Gareth Southgate's side.
Having kicked off the road to Qatar with a straightforward 5-0 triumph against San Marino, England overcame a sluggish start to win 2-0 against well-drilled Albania, with Kane's first international goal since November 2019 and a fine Mason Mount effort seeing them take control of Group I ahead of Poland's visit.
Luke Shaw was among six changes for yesterday's qualifier in Tirana and marked his first appearance since September 2018 with a fine cross that Kane expertly headed
home towards the end of a drab first half.
The England skipper rattled the crossbar soon after and Phil Foden saw an effort tipped onto the post in the early stages of the second half.
Southgate's men settled the contest in the 63rd minute as Kane put through Mount to superbly curl home as the visitors capitalised on a poor error by Albania defender Berat Djimsiti.
This encounter was exactly 20 years on from England's last match in Albania, where the hosts made life uncomfortable during the opening exchanges.
Edoardo Reja's organised and hungry side forced a 13th-minute mistake that they should have done better from. Mount's wayward pass was picked off and Albania broke, but Myrto Uzuni poorly blazed over Nick Pope's goal from the edge of the box.
Impressive defending was compounding the visitors' lack of creativity, with Kyle Walker's hopeful long-range effort summing up England’s growing desperation.
But Southgate's men always had the quality to hurt the side 66th in the world rankings and pulled ahead in the 38th minute.
Shaw curled over a fine firsttime cross from the left that Kane stretched to meet with a superb header that found the bottom right-hand corner.
England nearly added another within four minutes. Raheem Sterling bent over a lovely right-footed cross from the same area, with Kane getting ahead of Hysen Memolla at the far post and striking off the crossbar.
Neither side made halftime changes and Southgate's men returned on the front foot, striking the woodwork again in the 52nd minute when Foden hit a low shot that Albania keeper Etrit Berisha tipped onto the post.
England looked to put the match to bed, which they managed to do in the 63rd minute.
Djimsiti's attempted pass out from the back only succeeded in finding Sterling, who prodded the ball onto Kane. The England skipper played a lovely ball through to Mount and the Chelsea midfielder coolly curled home.
Albania: Berisha; Hysaj, Ismajli, Djimsiti, Veseli, Laci (Ramadani 89), Bare (Memushaj 71), Memolla (Gjasula 59), Cikalleshi (Manaj 59), Broja (Lenjani 59), Uzuni. Subs not used: Selmani, Ajeti, Hoxhallari, Doka, Kallaku, Kamberi, Strakosha.
England: Pope; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Rice, Phillips (Ward-prowse 71); Sterling, Mount, Foden (Lingard 81); Kane. Subs not used: Trippier, Henderson, Coady, James, Calvert-lewin, Mings, Chilwell, Watkins, Johnstone, Bellingham.