England clinch comfortable win at Wembley
David Beckham became England's most capped outfield player
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Saturday, 28, Mar 2009 10:23
Wayne Rooney struck twice as England beat Slovakia 4-0 in a friendly.
Rooney scored twice in the second half while Emile Heskey and Frank Lampard also found the net.
Fabio Capello named David James in goal for the opening 45 minutes while Aaron Lennon started on the right, with Beckham coming on in the second-half for his 109th cap.
But ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier with Ukraine, England have injury concerns over Heskey, Carlton Cole, and Peter Crouch who all limped off.
And Heskey will be a big miss for Capello's men after an impressive display before he limped off. The Aston Villa striker was inches away from connecting with Lennon's cross early on.
He fared better seven minutes later when he slotted the ball in from four yards out following Steven Gerrard's cross.
Heskey, who scored his last England goal in 2003, came agonisingly close to his second goal within minutes when he headed over Wayne Rooney's cross. Worryingly for Villa boss Martin O'Neill, Heskey then went off with a hamstring strain and was replaced by Cole.
But against the run of play, Slovakia should have levelled when Stanislav Sestak looped a volley inches over the bar when England failed to deal with a cross.
A defensive mistake from Martin Skrtel nearly lead to Rooney scoring but keeper Stefan Senecky raced off his line to clear.
Senecky then parried a long-range effort from Frank Lampard, while at the other end James beat away Miroslav Karhan's effort from 20 yards.
England's injury jinx worsened as West Ham United striker Cole then limped off with a groin injury and had to be replaced by Peter Crouch.
Senecky continued to thwart the home side towards the end of the half after parrying Lennon's shot before saving a header from the impressive Gerrard.
Rooney was a persistent threat in the second-half and shot wide from distance, while substitute Stewart Downing's header from Beckham's cross was saved by Senecky.
Beckham then set up Crouch, whose header was ruled out as John Terry was offside when he stabbed the ball in on the goal-line. Minutes later, Terry lashed a shot wide while Senecky blocked at the feet of Rooney as the striker was about to pull the trigger.
But Rooney got the goal he deserved on 70 minutes when he headed in from six yards after a pinpoint delivery from Beckham. Crouch then became the third England striker to limp off and was replaced by Darren Bent.
Lampard capped off an impressive display with the third goal on 82 minutes when his low shot beat Senecky.
And Rooney scored his second in stoppage time with a clinical finish from eight yards to seal an easy victory, as attention now turns to the qualifier against Ukraine on Wednesday.