England have won their first six games of the international season and they were widely expected to comfortably win tonight to make it seven – making them the first England side to ever win their first seven games of the season.
The big talking point before the game was that Harry Kane, the man of the moment, started the game on the bench. Roy Hodgson defended the decision claiming there was no need to disrupt a winning side.
The game got off to a quick start and Rooney found himself through on goal in the fourth minute but he slightly dragged his effort that ended up finding the post and going wide. It was an effort he really should have put away, but the miss clearly incentivised him.
Only three minutes later a Danny Welbeck shot across the keeper was parried and Rooney was the first to react. The Lithuanian defenders were caught ball-watching and Rooney wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice, comfortably heading the ball home from six yards to open the scoring.
Following the goal England knocked the ball round with ease, tying to stretch a disciplined Lithuanian side. Anytime Lithuania got hold of the ball they seemingly gave it straight back to England.
However, it was almost too easy for England and they found themselves taking their foot off the pedal a bit and failed to create. This lull was temporarily broken by Welbeck who did brilliantly to get past his man and get a cross to the back post, where Rooney was waiting. The England talisman nearly got his second after he headed back across goal, but again the woodwork denied him.
Again, England took the pressure off Lithuania who themselves managed to knock the ball around a bit, but they failed to capitalise on their rare period of possession.
Shortly after the forty-minute mark, Jordan Henderson woke the England fans back up with a perfectly weighted ball to Raheem Sterling that split the Lithuanian defence. Sterling did well to find Welbeck who squandered his chance, and really should have done better.
Just before the half-time whistle Henderson received a short corner on the edge of the box. His whipped cross-come-shot was directed goalwards by Welbeck. His relatively tame effort was defleced past the helpless Giedrius Arlauskis by Tadas Kijanska and England went in at the break 2-0 up.
Though the half-time score line reflects England’s dominance, they could have easily scored four or five.
Just after the teams started the second half, Rooney found himself in space on the right hand side and found Fabian Delph at the back post. Delph connected with the ball well and Arlauskis pulled off a fantastic save to turn the volley over the bar.
In the 56th minute Welbeck went past his man and goes down in the area but there is only the slightest of touches and nothing is given.
A minute later Rooney whipped in a fantastic cross and Sterling got on the end of it and there’s no mistake from 5 yards and he made it 3-0.
Again, there was a long period of England possession and they really were in cruise control.
On 70 minutes there is a huge cheer around Wembley as Harry Kane comes on for Wayne Rooney to make his senior England debut, after seemingly standing on the touchline for an age waiting for the ball to go out. Ross Barkley also came on for Jordan Henderson.
Unbelievably Harry Kane scored with almost his first touch of the ball as he heads Raheem Sterling’s cross home at the far post to make it 4-0. He can’t stop scoring at the moment and always just seems to be in the right place at the right time.
For a second it looked like Kane may get another during a scramble in the box, but the ball got away from him and the keeper managed to smother it.
Just after the 75-minute mark Theo Walcott came on to replace Welbeck who looked really lively tonight.
There was a nasty collision between Sterling and Vytautas Andriuskevicius and the Lithuanian defender had to be stretchered off to a warm applause.
That break in play seemingly broke up England’s momentum and while they continued to pressure Lithuania, they failed to create any real chances.
While they were expected to win comfortably tonight, England really were impressive. The movement of Welbeck and Sterling was great to watch and Rooney will be disappointed he didn’t get closer to Bobby Charlton’s record.
Fabian Delph impressed in the middle of the park but it will be Kane that grabs all the headlines, coming on to and making an instant impact.