England crush Andorra 5-0

England [Images] opened their Euro 2008 [Images] qualifying campaign with a 5-0 victory over Andorra in a one-sided Group E game at Old Trafford on Saturday.

A goal apiece from Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard inside the first 15 minutes settled the outcome, Jermain Defoe hit two more either side of halftime and Crouch headed the fifth.

It could not have gone smoother for Steve McClaren's first competitive game as England manager since replacing his former boss Sven-Goran Eriksson after the World Cup.

England certainly looked good against a side of amateurs from a Pyrenean principality whose entire population of 71,000 could be seated at Old Trafford with room to spare.

McClaren's men face a trickier task next Wednesday when their qualifying campaign continues in Macedonia.

England were fielding a re-shuffled side with first-choice strikers Michael Owen [Images] and Wayne Rooney [Images] absent due to long-term injury and suspension respectively. Midfielder Joe Cole and defenders Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand are also injured.

Crouch got the goal feast underway from close range after five minutes and Gerrard chested down Ashley Cole's high cross to lash in the second in the 13th minute.

Andorra at times had all 11 men in the final third, while their feeble attempts to attack were snuffed out by holding midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who also hit the post with a free kick.

Defoe made it 3-0 after a superb jink and cross by Gerrard in the 38th minute and smacked in his second after Andorra failed to deal with Phil Neville's looping header just two minutes into the second half.

Hargreaves, on impressive form, hit the post again with a superb 25-metre shot. Crouch had better luck, heading the fifth after substitute winger Aaron Lennon's first touches were to beat his marker and send over a perfect cross.

It was Crouch's 10th goal in his last nine games for England, though he should have had a hat-trick after firing wide from substitute Andrew Johnson's cut-back.

McClaren, who has passed over former skipper David Beckham [Images], will be delighted with another resounding victory after their 4-0 friendly win over European champions Greece last month.

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