England 5-0 Albania

Though, as the scoreline suggests, there was more than a little between the two sides in this European Under-21 Championship qualifier, David Platt's fast improving side can take great credit for the patient and professional manner with which they approached the game.

With the visitors content to defend with eleven men behind the ball for much of the game, the match became an exercise in perseverance and precision for the young lions, who ably rose to the challenge, using the full width of the pitch and the full extent of their talents to overcome their opponents.

The pace and movement of Chadwick, Jeffers, Defoe and, when he came on, Pennant was simply too much for Albania to cope with on the night, while the midfield probing of Greening and Parker offered the subtlety required to breakdown the resolute visiting defence.

Once Jeffers' delicate left-foot dink had given England the lead on 18 minutes, the only real question appeared to be how many Platt's side could get, so it was something of a surprise that, despite the best efforts of Chadwick, Parker and Defoe, England's advantage remained so slender at half-time.

Beginning the second half with renewed zest, England quickly reestablished their grip on the game, and their second, on 59 minutes, was just reward for a lengthy period of concerted pressure.

Once again it was Francis Jeffers, England's injury-time hero on Friday night, who was the man to apply the finishing touch to some excellent England build-up play.

Following a rare Albanian attack, England broke with ferocious speed as Bridge found Defoe sprinting down the left. The West Ham man's precision cross landed perfectly at Jeffers' feet, allowing him to use the pace of the ball to convert the chance past Mustafa on the half-volley.

Having set up both the first two goals for his partner, it became clear that Defoe was intent on getting his own name on the scoresheet next and, having narrowly missed with a couple of curling efforts on the Albanian goal, he found the back of the net on 70 minutes.

Defoe can thank Scott Parker for his goal for it was the Charlton midfielder who not only spotted his striker's run into the box, but also found him with the most exquisite reverse pass. There is a sense of the inevitable when Defoe finds himself one on one with the goalkeeper so it was no surprise to see England's young poacher register his fourth goal in only two starts for the Under-21s, slipping the ball neatly under the onrushing Mustafa.

At 3-0 England could have been forgiven for closing the game down and settling for a quite respectable victory. Instead, however, David Platt's side kicked up a further gear in the final 20 minutes and, with the turbo-powered Jermaine Pennant causing the visitors all sorts of problems down the right flank, opportunities continued to arise at regular intervals.

Perhaps the biggest cheer of the night came on 88 minutes when Middlesbrough's two new signings combined for England's fourth. Mark Wilson drove to the byline before pulling the ball back to the edge of the area, from where his teammate Jonathan Greening accurately drove the ball just inside the post.

With England now rampant, Jeffers took the opportunity to round off the scoring and complete his hat trick. Released down the inside right channel by Pennant, he drew Mustafa from his goal before curling the ball around him at his near post to ensure those of the 23,118 crowd that stayed until the final whistle left happy.

Earlier in the week Jeffers had commented that Michael Owen's stunning hat trick in Munich on Saturday had given all young English strikers something to strive towards. Though Jeffers own three-goal trick did not come in a game of quite the same magnitude as the weekend's World Cup qualifier, it will certainly have been noted by the watching Sven-Goran Eriksson. Taking his tally to seven goals for the Under-21s in nine games, Jeffers has every reason to be proud of his night's work.

As indeed do the whole team. Making tough matches look easy is no mean feat so England's complete mastery of such determined and resolute opposition is deserving of both praise and respect. Greece now await in the final group game at Blackburn on October 4. If England can once again ally their undoubted skill with the same resilience that they have shown in their last two outings, they stand every chance of avenging their defeat in Athens and, in so doing, take their place in the European Championship play-offs as the winners of Group 9.

England U21: Stuart Taylor, Wright, Bridge, King, Barry, Greening, Davis (Wilson 74), Parker (Pennant 72), Chadwick (Johnson 63), Jeffers, Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Prutton, Bywater, Vassell, Ameobi.
Booked: Defoe.

Albania U21: Mustafa, Demira, Belisha (Kotja 80), Sheta, E Beqira, Ahmeti, Merxha (Kaci 45), Bulko, Muka, Shkembi, Meleeli (Bespallov 64).
Subs Not Used: Lika, Shtrepi.
Booked: Muka.

Att: 23,118
Ref: M Culcu (Turkey).