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Published 15 November 2021 4 min read
England

Perfect ten to end 2021

Written by:

Tom Harle

  • F. Tomassini (16′)
  • D. Rossi (26′)
  • A. D'Addario (38′)
  • Manuel Battistini (54′)
  • D. Rossi (67′)
FULL TIME
UEFA World Cup Qualifiers Group Stage
Monday 15 November, 07:45 PM Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle
0 10
HT: 0 - 6
  • H. Maguire (6′)
  • F. Fabbri (15′OG)
  • H. Kane (27′PEN) (31′) (39′PEN) (42′)
  • E. Smith Rowe (58′)
  • T. Mings (69′)
  • T. Abraham (78′)
  • B. Saka (79′)
  • T. Abraham (73′)
England end a record-breaking 2021 in style as they hit double figures in San Marino to secure World Cup spot

WORLD CUP? JOIN MY ENGLAND FOOTBALL

England booked their place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with a 10-0 victory over San Marino. 
 
Captain Harry Kane led the way with four first-half goals as his side hit six before the break and never let up in a remorseless attacking display.
 
Gareth Southgate’s side finished top of Group I on 26 points with eight victories and two draws from ten games, with the countdown to Qatar now beginning in earnest.
 
England's final tally of goals, 39, is their most ever in a World Cup or European Championship qualifying campaign. 
 
Harry Maguire got the ball rolling when England forced successive corners and from the second, he rose highest to plant a header into the bottom right. 
 
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was unrelenting with the ball at his feet, driving at the home defence repeatedly down the left wing and was rewarded by engineering a goal on 15 minutes.
Harry Kane celebrates his hat-trick goal with Emile Smith Rowe, who also scored his first international goal later in the game
Harry Kane celebrates his hat-trick goal with Emile Smith Rowe, who also scored his first international goal later in the game
The 20 year old’s low shot took a wicket deflection off Filippo Fabbri’s outstretched leg and left the keeper stranded, doubling the lead but going down as an own goal.
 
The predictable pattern of pressure continued and Phil Foden tried to emulate Kane’s acrobatic effort against Albania but couldn’t fully connect with a bicycle kick.
 
That effort, however, struck San Marino’s Dante Rossi on the hand and Kane thumped the resulting penalty down the middle for his 13th international goal of the calendar year, an England record.
 
The Spurs striker added to that record-breaking tally four minutes later when Emile Smith-Rowe’s left-wing cross found him in the middle and he hacked home.
 
Saka was at it again and raiding down the flank, earning another penalty when his pull back hit Alessandro D’Addario’s arm. 
 
And Kane whipped the spot-kick into the top left corner to become the first since Dixie Dean in 1927 to score hat-tricks in consecutive England internationals.
The skipper got his fourth and the team’s sixth before the break, bursting into the box and firing home to make more history, becoming England’s first since Ian Wright in 1993 to net four also against the same opposition.

The goal also moved Kane up to third in the list of England men's all-time record goalscorers.

Southgate made three half-time changes, including handing Conor Gallagher his Three Lions debut following his first senior call-up earlier in the week.

With Aaron Ramsdale making his senior debut in goal - without needing to make a save - Southgate has now given 50 players senior England bows.

Smith-Rowe scored the seventh and arguably the pick of the bunch, crashing home after an impudent backheel from sub Tammy Abraham to set him up.

San Marino’s evening wasn’t getting any easier and that continued when Rossi was given a second yellow for bringing down Gallagher from behind.

 
Bukayo Saka is congratulated by Kalvin Phillips after his role England's second of the night
Bukayo Saka is congratulated by Kalvin Phillips after his role England's second of the night
The rout went on as Tyrone Mings nodded in a first England goal before Abraham volleyed in a ninth goal on the turn and Saka finally got a deserved goal by heading home Alexander-Arnold's cross from close range to take England into double figures. 
16 Nov 2021 8:12

Highlights: San Marino 0-10 England


See ALL the goals as the Three Lions end 2021 with a bang

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