With goals from captain David Beckham, Liverpool's Michael Owen and a third from
With goals from captain David Beckham, Liverpool's Michael Owen and a third from Chelsea's Frank Lampard, England have beaten Croatia 3-1 at Ipswich Town's Portman Road...
1' England make some progress down the left through Steven Gerrard but Paul Scholes is tackled well.
2' John Terry does well to intercept a dangerous looking cross from Siminuic.
3' Ashley Cole reads a Croat pass well and intercepts it but is fouled, earning a free kick.
5' Olic plays a good ball through to Croatian striker Maric but the big man fails to get his shot on target.
6' Phil Neville tackles Rapaic out on the right touchline, giving away a freekick from which the Croatians create nothing.
8' A David Beckham cross from the inside-right channel is angled across the goalmouth and heads for Michael Owen at the far post. Simunic jumps up to try to clear but handles the ball - the ref points to the spot.
9' GOAL! ENGLAND 1-0 CROATIA
Beckham fires home the penalty, giving Plentikosa no chance.
10' Croatian booking
Nicky Butt picks up possession on the half way line and threatens to break away, only for Kovac to bring him down and earn the first yellow card of the match.
15' A dangerous looking Croatian attack is dealt with.
16' A nice ball is played up to Heskey who turns his man well and fires in a low, right-footed cross which just evades the incoming Michael Owen.
18' Heskey is fouled on the edge of the area in perfect Beckham country.
21' Beckham's free kick hits the wall and goes out for a corner.
22' The corner is dealt with but soon after Beckham plays a nice threaded ball to a forward Rio Ferdinand but he is tackled well.
23' Maric plays the perfect ball out to Olic on the right and his cross finds England a man short in defence. Rapaic is completely free but heads over - a terrible miss...
25' Rapaic tries to make up for his miss by crossing nicely for Maric but his attempted first-time volley fails to threaten James' goal.
26' Gerrard, running across England's midfield, passes to Owen, who's fouled.
27' England substitution
Frank Lampard of Chelsea comes on for Man United's Nicky Butt.
29' More danger for England - a corner from the left finds Kovac completely free six yards out. The number 10 can only head over...
35' A nice pass towards Owen is just cut out by Simunic.
37' David James to the rescue twice for England, firstly saving a point-blank Maric header and then coming off his line to stop Olic getting a shot away.
41' Heskey, doing his bit at the back, clears away a Croatian free-kick.
43' Heskey is released straight through the middle and fires in an early shot which Plentikosa beats away.
44' Heskey is everywhere... now he clears a Croatian left-wing corner.
45+1 Olic hits a shot from all of 30 yards which James fists away.
Half Time: ENGLAND 1-0 CROATIA
45' England substitution
David James is replaced by Paul Robinson
45' Croatian substitutions
Marko Babic on for Simic
Darijo Srna on for Maric
Ivica Mornar on for Rapaic.
47' Substitute Srna's cross flies across the danger zone between 'keeper and defenders but falls to safety.
48' Nice work from Gerrard on the left.
51' GOAL! ENGLAND 2-0 CROATIA
Steven Gerrard feeds the ball out to Beckham on the right touchline and his pinpoint cross finds Owen who nods the ball down and into the back of the net.
54' Beckham gets free on the right in similar fashion to the buildup to England's second goal but this time his cross is cut out.
55' Robinson deals with a 25 yard shot from Jerko Keko.
59' Cole makes great progress down the left and his quick cross finds the feet of goalscorer Owen. The Liverpool man fails to control the ball and passes to Beckham, whose shot is charged down.
60' England & Croatia substitutions
Dovani Rosso comes on for Leko
Wayne Bridge on for Ashley Cole
Matthew Upson on for Rio Ferdinand
Kieron Dyer on Michael Owen
Joe Cole on for Paul Scholes
Trevor Sinclair on for David Beckham
63' Phil Neville cuts from the right and passes to Lampard. The Chelsea man's shot flies just over.
65' Joe Cole shows his skill... Cutting in from the left, he hits a powerful low, right-footed shot which goes narrowly wide of the far post.
66' England booking
Steven Gerrard goes down in the referee's notebook for a needless late tackle.
68' Rosso shoots but fails to trouble Robinson.
70' Croatia substitution
Tomislav Butina on for Stipe Plentikosa
71' Dyer breaks free down the left but his cross is too far from Heskey for the big Liverpool man to reach it.
72' Croatian subtitutions
Jasmin Agic on for Boris Zivkovic
Anthony Seric on for Josip Simunic
74' Heskey goes down and needs treatment. Looks to be ok.
75' Joe Cole and Lampard link well in midfield, showing their old West Ham and their new Chelsea links...
76' England substitution
James Beattie on for Emile Heskey
77' GOAL! ENGLAND 2-1 CROATIA
Ivica Mornar pops in to score after a goalmouth scramble that sees Robinson save one shot well. It isn't all over yet...
80' GOAL! ENGLAND 3-1 CROATIA
Or maybe it is - Dyer and Bridge combine well on the left and Dyer takes the ball forward. He passes to Beattie on the edge of the area and his layoff reaches Lampard. The dynamic midfielder strikes a wonderful shot straight into the top corner... great goal!
81' England substitutions
Danny Mills on for Phil Neville
Danny Murphy on for Steven Gerrard
85' Chelsea's Cole wins a free kick near the centre circle after a good run through the middle.
87' Frank Lampard fires wide after good build-up play.
89' Joe Cole shoots into the wall from a 20-yard free-kick.
90' Kieron Dyer is played through and shoots past Butina for what he believes to be his first goal for England... unfortunately for the ex-Ipswich man, the linesman has signalled for offside.
90+3 Sinclair heads away a late corner and referee Larsen blows for full-time.
Full Time: ENGLAND 3-1 CROATIA
Teams
England: David James (Paul Robinson, 45); Phil Neville (Danny Mills, 81), Ashley Cole (Wayne Bridge, 60), Steven Gerrard (Danny Murphy, 81), Rio Ferdinand (Matthew Upson, 60), John Terry, David Beckham (c) (Trevor Sinclair 60), Paul Scholes (Joe Cole, 60), Emile Heskey (James Beattie, 76), Michael Owen (Kieron Dyer, 60), Nicky Butt (Frank Lampard, 27)
Croatia: Stipe Pletikosa (Tomislav Butina, 70), Dario Simic (Marko Babic, 45), Josip Simunic (Anthony Seric, 72), Stjepan Tomas, Robert Kovac, Boris Zivkovic (c) (Jasmin Agic, 72), Milan Rapaic (Ivica Mornar, 45), Jerko Leko (Dovani Rosso, 60), Marijo Maric (Darijo Srna, 45), Niko Kovac, Ivica Olic
Referee: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark)
Assistant Referees: Finn Erik Rasmussen & Ole Hansen (Denmark)
Fourth Official: Barry Knight (England)
Attendance: 28,700