• Theo Walcott gave England the lead on the stroke of half-time with a close-range right-footed effort 
• Raheem Sterling added a second for England late on courtesy of substitute Jamie Vardy’s assist
• Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli came on to make his Three Lions debut in the closing stages of the second half
• England travel to Lithuania on Monday night looking to win their 10th and final Euro 2016 Group E qualifier
• PLAYER RATINGS: Ross Barkley seizes his chance but Harry Kane endures a frustrating night for England 

By

Neil Ashton for the Daily Mail

Published:
20:34 GMT, 9 October 2015

|
Updated:
07:45 GMT, 10 October 2015

With Wayne Rooney and his golden boot forced on to the sidelines, Roy Hodgson gazed into the future to a time when England will have to pick a team without their record goalscorer.

After this functional, pedestrian victory over Estonia, Rooney’s place at Euro 2016 – and probably deep into the World Cup qualifiers – is already secure.

Without the England captain, this team lacks pedigree. It is as simple as that. 

England striker Theo Walcott wheels away in celebration after firing them into the lead during their 2-0 win against Estonia

Walcott (left) put England ahead on the stroke of half-time with a curling right-footed effort during their Euro 2016 qualifier

The Arsenal forward watches on as his close-range strike hits the back of the net during Friday’s clash at Wembley

Walcott (centre) was congratulated by his England team-mates as they broke the deadlock on 45 minutes

England’s head coach hinted at a fast and flexible team, promising lightning strikes as they went about the business of adding to the 26 goals they had already scored in qualifying against Estonia.

Unfortunately the widely expected goal-glut never came.

Instead the bright spots were the two scorers, Theo Walcott and Raheem Sterling, along with the smoking, stylish performance of Ross Barkley. Beyond that it was an ordinary performance. It was supposed to be irresistible, with a full house at Wembley lapping up the final home game in Group E before this team travels to Lithuania on Monday to round things off.

Barkley had something of a stormer, carrying a bit of swagger after he was picked to play in the team after Michael Carrick surrendered with a groin injury on the morning of the game.

On the ball he was audacious, with those eye-catching body-swerves adding some panache to an England team that often lacks that decisive touch in the final third.

The England midfielder offers bravery, a real risk taker with those dazzling runs and piercing balls that don’t quite, as yet, always reach their intended target. It will come.

That much was clear with his delayed pass into the feet of Theo Walcott seconds before half-time, when he cheekily nutmegged Karol Mets on the edge of the area. Walcott responded, timing his run behind Estonia’s sleepy defence before a trademark dip of his right shoulder a finishing neatly beyond Mihkel Aksalu.

There were flashes of the new, improved Walcott here. He scored two in San Marino last month and he is playing himself into this team after years of being regarded as something of an after-thought by a succession of international managers.

It is to his immense credit that he has overcome the disappointment of failing to play in three World Cups for his country to go again with the national team. He has earned this run in the team.

Walcott prefers to play in the central striking role these days and perhaps that chance will come properly when the team travels to Lithuania for the final qualifying game on Monday evening.

Rooney, who is carry an ankle injury, is not travelling and Harry Kane failed to make the desired impact after being billed by England’s head coach as the captain’s probable under-study. 

Before the match injured England captain Wayne Rooney (right) was presented with a golden boot by Sir Bobby Charlton

Rooney (left) and Charlton were all smiles after the former broke the latter’s all-time goalscoring record for the Three Lions

England supporters show their support for Rooney by unfurling a massive banner around Wembley

He made an impact when he scored with a sweet left footed finish against Switzerland after coming on as a substitute last month, but this time he was snatching at chances.

It is a much tougher gig to be the main man for England and as much as his attitude and work-rate will also be keep him in credit, the finishing touch was missing on this occasion.

A second half chance summed up his night, completely mis-cuing a tricky volley as the ball arrived invitingly inside the penalty area.

England captain on the night Gary Cahill (left) challenges with Estonia’s Sergei Zenjov in the early exchanges of the match

It confirmed what we already knew, that Rooney remains an automatic starter for this team when he is fit and when the occasion demands it. Next month, when England travel to Alicante for a friendly with Spain and return to Wembley to host France, there will be more congestion when Daniel Sturridge joins him in the squad.

Preditably England had plenty of chances here, notably when Barkley’s effort went straight into Aksalu’s hands after Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana had combined well.

The spotlight shone on Barkley throughout, following him across the pitch when he moved into position before sending a cushioned half-volley at the Estonia keeper. The improvisation deserved more.

Midfield maverick Ross Barkley battles for the ball with Ken Kallaste as England look to go on the attack at Wembley

Harry Kane was given his first England start in Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier against their Estonian counterparts

England right back Nathaniel Clyne is slide-tackled in the first half of their Group E encounter

England’s defence was rarely troubled, but of the two centre halves Chris Smalling stood out above captain Gary Cahill because of his sense of adventure on the ball.

His willingness to drill 30 or 40 yard balls out to England’s forwards is an unexpected weapon, with the pick of them when his lofted pass beat Estonia’s left back Arfur Pikk to fall delightfully at the feet of Walcott.

The reality is that England attacked at will, building patiently from the back and relying on Lallana to spring the occasional surprise or for Barkley to set off on one of those lung-busting runs.

James Milner (second left) tries his from the edge of the penalty area as England looked to step up the tempo in the first half

Soon enough Hodgson was sending for substitutes, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replacing Lallana and Jamie Vardy came on in place of Walcott. The Arsenal flyer went off to rapturous appreciation from the Wembley crowd.

Before either of them had chance to make an impression, Barkely’s twisting run took him into the box before Aksalu came to Estonia’s rescue with another desperate save.

England’s second eventually arrived five minutes from time, with Vardy’s diagonal run taking him inside the area and Sterling, arriving at the far post, applied the finishing touch.

It gave Hodgson another opportunity to remind people that England have won nine successive qualifying games in the build up to December’s Euro 2016 draw.

When the real thing starts in June, England will still rely on their record goalscorer. 

Two Estonia players surround Walcott (left) as the 26-year-old tries to create an opening for the Three Lions

The in-form Arsenal striker was in the thick of the action once more as tried his luck at the Estonia goal

Ross Barkley produced a man-of-the-match display in the middle of the park for England on Friday night at Wembley

Adam Lallana (bottom) is manhandled by Estonia captain Ragnar Klavan in the early stages of the second half

Kane (centre) shoots at goal but sees his left-footed shot go high and wide as England fail to double their advantage

England manager Roy Hodgson (left) watches on from the sideline as the action continues to unfold at Wembley

Raheem Sterling (centre) completed the scoreline for England on 85 minutes with a close-range finish

Sterling (centre) tapped home from inside the six-yard box after substitute Jamie Vardy (back) provided the assist

The Manchester City forward was quick to acknowledge the role that Vardy played for his goal by celebrating with him

Sterling (right) pointed to the heavens shortly after scoring England’s second goal against Estonia at Wembley

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli (centre) came on with minutes remaining for Barkley (right) to make his England debut

Alli (left) was soon in the thick of the action as he got to grips with international football at Wembley Stadium

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