Euro 2016 qualifiers: England 3-1 Slovenia - Welbeck steals spotlight on Rooney's special night
England took a massive step in securing qualification for Euro 2016 with a 3-1 win over Slovenia at Wembley putting them 6 points clear at the Top of Group E. Wayne Rooney won and scored a penalty on his 100th England cap but it was former club team-mate Danny Welbeck who stole the show with a brace after a Jordan Henderson own goal had given the visitors an unlikely lead.
The first half was devoid of too much action but the game sprung to life when Slovenia won a free-kick in the 57th minute which was put through his own net by Henderson with a finish that would have made him proud had he scored it at the other end. The hosts responded almost immediately after captain Wayne Rooney was clipped inside the box just a couple of minutes later.
The 29-year-old scored the resulting spot-kick with a powerful shot to reach 44 goals for his national side and going level with Jimmy Greaves. Only Gary Lineker (48) and Sir Bobby Charlton (49) have scored more goals for England.
The hosts stepped it up and took the lead 6 minutes later after some good work on the right by Liverpool duo Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana was finished off albeit unconvincingly by Welbeck. The best goal of the night came 7 minutes later after a Kieran Gibbs run on the left wing resulted in a nice exchange between Sterling and Welbeck and ended with the Arsenal forwardscoring his second of the night.
LINE-UPS
England
J. Hart, P. Jagielka, K. Gibbs, N. Clyne, G. Cahill, R. Sterling, J. Wilshere, J. Henderson, A. Lallana, D. Welbeck, W. Rooney.
Subs: F. Forster, B. Foster, C. Chambers, C. Smalling, J. Milner, R. Barkley, S. Downing, A. Oxlade-Chamberlain, S. Berahino, R. Lambert, T. Walcott.
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Slovenia
S. Handanovi?, M. Bre?ko, B. Ili?, Andraž Struna, B. Cesar, A. Mertelj, V. Birsa, K. Kampl, J. Kurti?, A. Kirm, M. Novakovi?.
Subs: V. Belec, J. Oblak, M. Samardži?, S. An?elkovi?, D. Maroh, R. Rotman, D. Lazarevi?, N. Pe?nik, D. Stevanovi?, M. Milec, Ž. Filipovi?, Z. Ljubijanki?.