2002 World Cup, Group 9 Qualifier

England

2-0

Albania

 

 

Owen 42
Fowler 88

 

  
 


St James' Park, Newcastle

 

 

05 September 2001











In a game in which the dogged and determined display of the visitors regularly unsettled Sven-Goran Eriksson's side, it was the exemplary finishing of the two Anfield hit men that ultimately sealed the game for England.

In between Owen's deft volley and Fowler's cheeky chip, England struggled to find the same levels of energy and fluidity that had seen them soar to victory in Munich, but, in terms of World Cup points, this victory was just as valuable as that so memorably achieved in Germany.

Still on a high after Saturday's scintillating performance, England began at a fearsome tempo and might have been awarded a penalty when Owen was felled by the otherwise immaculate Albanian goalkeeper and captain, Strakosha, after only two minutes.

Yet, after the early flurry of England attacks in which Nick Barmby was also much to the fore, the game settled into something of a lull until awoken from its slumber by a goal conceived in Manchester and finished in Liverpool.

Paul Scholes, who played in his more accustomed advanced midfield role having been slightly restrained in Munich, chipped a perfectly weighted ball into the Albanian penalty area, which Owen watched drop onto his right foot, before cushioning a volley across Strakosha to open the scoring.

The strike, his 14th in 22 starts for his country, takes Owen ahead of Scholes ( who has 13) as the leading goalscorer in Eriksson's squad.

With the goal arriving on 42 minutes, the 51,046 crowd could have been forgiven for thinking that, having broken the deadlock just before the break, England would come out and blow the supposedly inferior opposition away in the second period.

That this did not turn out to be the case is testament both to the mental and physical fatigue from which England were suffering after Saturday's exertions, and to the strength of character shown by Albania who dangerously and deservedly fought their way back into the game in the second half.

Forcing the home side back into their own half, Albania's confidence grew as England's waned, and David Seaman was regularly called into action, most memorably from a dipping and swerving effort fired in by the tenacious left-winger, Edvin Murati, after 77 minutes.

England found it difficult to retain possession for long enough either to relieve the pressure on their goal or threaten that of the Albanians, so it came as something of a relief when a moment of inspiration from Robbie Fowler secured England's victory with only 2 minutes remain on the clock.

Receiving the ball from his teammate Jamie Carragher some 30 yards from goal, Fowler tricked his way inside one defender, and then nutmegged the next before clipping the ball home with his right foot over the advancing Strakosha.

It was a beautiful goal to witness and a deserved reward for the St. James' Park crowd, whose patience during the game should be applauded.

So the march towards next year's World Cup finals continues, with England having now recorded five successive World Cup qualifying victories under Sven-Goran Eriksson. A sixth against Greece next month would secure England's place in the Korea and Japan and complete a remarkable turn around in fortunes since the Swede took over.

It may not have been the cricket score that some had been expecting but, if its effect is to quell the post Munich hysteria which was beginning to get slightly out of control, it may prove to be a useful result in more ways that one.

"A win by one goal would be enough&but two would be better," said Sven-Goran Eriksson as he looked forward to this fixture on Tuesday afternoon.

It was a case of better late than never at St. James on Wednesday, but, if the biggest worry is that England took a while to confirm their victory, long may such concerns trouble us.

England: Seaman, Gary Neville, Campbell, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Beckham, Gerrard (Carragher 83), Scholes, Barmby (McManaman 64), Owen, Heskey (Fowler 55).
Subs Not Used: Wright, Southgate, Hargreaves, Andy Cole.
Booked: Gerrard.

Albania: Strakosha, Dede, Cipi, Xhumba, Fakaj, Hasi (Alban Bushi 45), Murati, Bellai, Fatmir Vata, Rraklli (Mukaj 62), Bogdani (Tare 56).
Subs Not Used: Beqaj, Fortuzi, Rudi Vata, Skela.
Booked: Murati, Hasi.

Attendance: 51,046
Referee: Juan Antonio Fernandez Marin (Spain)