Six-goal England outclass Malta
Malta 0England 6 England underlined their credentials as one of the strongest teams on the continent after they eased past Malta 6-0 to go top of Group 5 of the 2011 Women's World Cup qualifying campaign. The Euro 2009 finalists produced a fine...
Malta 0
England 6
England underlined their credentials as one of the strongest teams on the continent after they eased past Malta 6-0 to go top of Group 5 of the 2011 Women's World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Euro 2009 finalists produced a fine performance of attacking football, laying siege to Malta's goal from the outset.
Fara Williams, scorer of two goals yesterday, was England's star performer as the Everton player's continuous incursions from midfield created a lot of problems to the Maltese defence.
This win lifted England to the top of Group Five along with Spain on 15 points but Hope Powell's side have a game in hand. Malta remain rooted to the bottom of the group without a point after slipping to their sixth consecutive defeat.
England took just seven minutes to forge ahead. Rachel Yankey's dipping cross found the towering Faye White who headed past Sharon Costantino.
The visitors doubled their lead on 15 minutes when Claire Rafferty served Kelly Smith who rammed the ball past Costantino.
After that early flurry by England, the Maltese improved their defensive organisation and as a result, the visitors were finding it more difficult to find gaps in their opponents' half.
However, on 29 minutes, England made it 3-0 with a fine individual strike from Williams who placed the ball into the top corner of the net.
Three minutes later Jessica Clarke's cross seemed to have found Yankey but the English winger was denied by a vital intervention from Dorianne Theuma.
Eight minutes from the break, Costantino charged out of goal to deny the goalbound Yankey.
In the final stages of the opening half, the Malta goalkeeper was forced to make two difficult saves as she first blocked a close-range shot from Ellen White and then dived to her right to stop Williams's effort.
On the resumption, England stayed in control and on 54 minutes, Ellen White stormed into the area before squaring the ball into the path of Jessica Clarke who fired just wide.
In their next attack, the visitors struck again when Kelly White dribbled past Costantino before setting up Clarke for the easiest of finishes.
On 66 minutes, Ellen White showed off her exquisite skills as she raced past four Maltese defenders before firing the ball past the onrushing Costantino.
England coach Powell clearly wanted more goals from her team as she withdrew skipper Faye White and roped in striker Natasha Dowie, the niece of Hull coach Iain Dowie.
Fifteen minutes from time the woodwork denied England a sixth goal when Ellen White's volley came off the bar.
England hit their sixth goal nine minutes from time when Rafferty burst through on the right before sending a low cross that was turned home by Fara Williams.
Malta's first and only attempt at goal arrived seven minutes from time when Theuma's long-range shot finished wide.
Malta: S. Costantino, R. Chircop, R. D'Agostino, N. Pace, D. Theuma, C. Fenech ('90 C. Saliba), Y. Carabott, R. Cuschieri, C. Vella White ('62 M. Debono), K. Parnis, G. Zahra ('70 E. Xuereb).
England: R. Brown, A. Scott ('46 D. Susi), C. Rafferty, K. Chapman, F. White ('73 N. Dowie), C. Stoney, J. Clarke, F. Williams, E. White, K. Smith, R. Yankey ('64 K. Carney).
Referee: Marte Soro (Norway FA).
Standings: Spain, England 15; Turkey 6; Austria 3; Malta 0.