England 2-1 Nigeria: Gary Cahill and Harry Kane both on target in win

The halcyon days of building up an England team as potential world champions on the basis of a decent half in a friendly game have long since died a slow death, killed off by serial disappointments and the discomforting encroaching reality of England’s real place in the world game.

So no-one was ready to pronounce that this was England restored after as good a first half performance they have shown under Gareth Southgate. Which was sagacious, given that, as if to dampen any burgeoning expectation, this team then amply demonstrated their vulnerabilities in the second half.

Still, to overplay that would be to carp. To win your penultimate game before the real business begins, to do so in decent fashion, with promising performances from key performers and a goal from your captain is almost as good as it gets in a friendly prior to the World Cup. 

Gary Cahill put Gareth Southgate’s men into the lead early on at Wembley with a thumping header from a corner kick

The England defender got above his marker and powerfully headed the ball into the top corner of the net to score the opener

The England defender got above his marker and powerfully headed the ball into the top corner of the net to score the opener

Harry Kane's struck a low drive from long ranger through the hands of the Nigeria keeper to double England's advantage

Harry Kane’s struck a low drive from long ranger through the hands of the Nigeria keeper to double England’s advantage

Nigeria came out a different side after the break and halved the deficit through Alex Iwobi's well-placed finish

Nigeria came out a different side after the break and halved the deficit through Alex Iwobi’s well-placed finish

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCH ZONE

England (3-4-3): Pickford 6, Trippier 7.5, Stones 5.5, Cahill 7, Walker 6, Young 6.5 (Rose 67) 6, Dier 6, Lingard 6 (Loftus-Cheek 67) 6, Alli 6.5 (Delph 81) 6, Sterling 7 (Rashford 73) 6, Kane 6.5 (Welbeck 73) 5.5

Subs not used: Pope, Heaton, Butland, Maguire, Livermore, Lallana, Vardy

Goalscorers: Cahill (7), Kane (39)

Booked: Sterling

Manager: Gareth Southgate 6.5

Nigeria (4-3-3): Uzoho 5; Shehu 5 (Oghenekaro 6, 45), Haddad 5.5, Balogun 5 (Ogu 6, 45), Idowu 6; Mikel 6, Obi 5 (Omeruo 6, 45), Onazi 5 (Ebuehi 6.5, 45); Moses 6 (Musa 6, 63), Ighalo 6 (Iheanacho 6, 77), Iwobi 6.5

Subs not used: Akpeyi, Ezenwa, Aina, Echiejile, Ndidi, Simy, Awaziem, Agu

Goalscorers: Iwobi (47)

Booked: Musa

Manager: Gernot Rohr 6

Referee: Marco Guida 6

Attendance: 70,025

Star Man: Trippier

Harry Kane doubled England's lead by smashing a powerful low drive through the hands of the Nigeria goalkeeper. CLICK HERE to see more from Sportsmail's brilliant MATCH ZONE feature.

Harry Kane doubled England’s lead by smashing a powerful low drive through the hands of the Nigeria goalkeeper. CLICK HERE to see more from Sportsmail’s brilliant MATCH ZONE feature.

No-one should be booking an open-top bus at present for mid July. Yet England demonstrated enough on Saturday evening to suggest that, when they fully engage their attacking instincts, they can be a threat in Russia to many teams.

Of course, they look less assured when Nigeria recovered their nerve and took the game to England. This will never be a team to lower your heart rate in a crisis. But they retain their fluidity and ambition, even when stretched. They are attractive to watch. And they attack with intent. At present, that is as much as can be hoped.

And the final quarter of any friendly match is hard to gauge, when substitutions disrupt the flow of the game. England finished with Danny Welbeck and Marcus Rashford up front and Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fabian Delph behind them in midfield, which looked very much the B team.

Still, the A team did enough to foster hope. Raheem Sterling, after a week of media focus, tattoos and tardiness the questions of the day, didn’t flinch the limelight. He buzzed with creative fervour; he couldn’t quite find a decisive finish; and he was booked for diving. In short, he remains the centre of attention but this was broadly speaking a good day. 

A topless England supporter sings as the teams prepare to come out at Wembley Stadium ahead of kick-off

A topless England supporter sings as the teams prepare to come out at Wembley Stadium ahead of kick-off

England and Nigeria walk out to a packed Wembley Stadium before kick-off of their World Cup warm-up match

England and Nigeria walk out to a packed Wembley Stadium before kick-off of their World Cup warm-up match

Both sets of players line-up around the centre circle and applaud to pay tribute to the late Ray Wilkins and Ray Wilson

Both sets of players line-up around the centre circle and applaud to pay tribute to the late Ray Wilkins and Ray Wilson

Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel uses his body to protect the ball as Erie Dier tries to win back possession for England

Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel uses his body to protect the ball as Erie Dier tries to win back possession for England

Dele Alli, who is of Nigerian descent, saw lots of the ball early on but was being constantly booed by the away supporters

Dele Alli, who is of Nigerian descent, saw lots of the ball early on but was being constantly booed by the away supporters

England defender Kyle Walker douses himself in water and spits it out during a brief interval in the first half at Wembley

England defender Kyle Walker douses himself in water and spits it out during a brief interval in the first half at Wembley

The game could scarcely have started better for England. Kieran Trippier, as expected was selected at right back. But the fact that he is nailed on for the starting eleven came when he stepped up to take the opening free kick on six minutes. A decent job he made of it too, forcing goalkeeper Francis Uzohu to tip wide for a corner.

Trippier stepped up for the corner, confirming his role as set piece taker. (Ashley Young would take corners from the left). His delivery this time was faultless, finding Gary Cahill rising above his markers, and heading firmly home. A few weeks ago Cahill was out of the Chelsea side and all but certain to miss the cut for England’s 23 in Russia. Since then, he’s lifted the FA Cup as Chelsea captain and now looks a starter for England.

Yet this was more than a mere decent moment for England. For 45 minutes, they looked energetic and slick, as their attacking line up moved the ball swiftly around a strong Nigerian side. Sterling, in particular, after his week in the headlines, was at the heart of it all. He was chipping just over on 13 minutes, combining with Harry Kane and Ashley Young to set up the wing back on 19 minutes and lifting the ball over after Kane and Alli combined to set him up on 37 minutes. 

Kieran Trippier goes round Brian Idowu and falls to the ground but the referee waves it away and gives a goalkick

Kieran Trippier goes round Brian Idowu and falls to the ground but the referee waves it away and gives a goalkick

Ashley Young times his sliding challenge to perfection to dispossess Alex Iwobi and stop Nigeria's counter attack

Ashley Young times his sliding challenge to perfection to dispossess Alex Iwobi and stop Nigeria’s counter attack

Jesse Lingard makes a clever run to the front post and connects with the cross but Francis Uzoho manages to block it 

Jesse Lingard makes a clever run to the front post and connects with the cross but Francis Uzoho manages to block it 

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford refuses to let Iwobi have the ball after his goal early on in the second half

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford refuses to let Iwobi have the ball after his goal early on in the second half

On the plus side, his combinations with Kane as striking partner were genuinely promising. In the debit column always, are those paltry two goals in 38 England games prior to this one. He was finding decent goal-scoring positons, no mean feat; but he is yet to show he is clinical playing a central role rather than wide, as he does mainly for City and from where he does score.

That said, Sterling was fully involved as England stretched their lead. Leon Balogun hesitated on the ball in his half and Dier immediately pounced, finding Kane. He in turn fed Sterling, who controlled and returned the ball to the England captain. With minimal back-lift but maximum power, Kane got his shot away from the edge of the box and surprised Uzoho with its ferocity to make it 2-0.

Yet if one move exemplified what England have achieved in the last few months under Gareth Southgate, it came on 28 minutes. It started with Jordan Pickford, surely now established as first choice for Russia, who had seen precious little of the ball in the first half. 

Raheem Sterling tries to win a penalty by going down under pressure from the Nigeria keeper but gets booked for simulation

Raheem Sterling tries to win a penalty by going down under pressure from the Nigeria keeper but gets booked for simulation

England manager Southgate takes off his captain Kane to give striker Danny Welbeck 15 minutes to impress 

England manager Southgate takes off his captain Kane to give striker Danny Welbeck 15 minutes to impress 

Walker stretches his leg out to block Nigeria substitute Ahmed Musa's pull back during the second half at Wembley

Walker stretches his leg out to block Nigeria substitute Ahmed Musa’s pull back during the second half at Wembley

Yet given the chance, despite a Nigerian press, he was determined to play out from the back to Kyle Walker who fed Kieran Trippier, who found Eric Dier. On and on it went, England working the ball swiftly and smoothly upfield with intent and precision before the move ended with Trippier, by now a right winger, crossing for Jesse Lingard, who just missed connecting with the ball.

But the confidence with which they moved the ball was atypical of England teams. For sure, teams will press harder and better than Nigeria managed in the first half at Wembley. And at some stage, doubtless, England will be caught out playing from the back. But the one thing opponents have previously relied on in neutering England was allowing defenders to have excessive possession, knowing that they would use it badly. That isn’t an option anymore. This defence may have other issues, but poise on the ball isn’t one of them.

It was as good a 45 minutes as England have had for some time. But was aided by an awfully lax Nigerian performance, by no means reminiscent of their strong qualifying. England had yet to be pressurised. A half-time reorganisation by Gernat Rohr meant that Nigeria were much better placed to do that come the second half.

Within two minutes of the re-start, Alex Iwobi had seized the ball in midfield and fed former Watford man Odion Ighalo. He muscled his way past Kyle Walker far too easily to get a shot away, the weakness of England’s back three exposed for the first time. They were saved by the post, with Pickford beaten, but no-one had tracked Iwobi, who connected with the rebound to reduce the deficit. Nigeria were briefly in the ascendancy and we were able to measure England’s capability on the back foot. In summary, they are more suited to being on the front foot.

That said, they didn’t wholly surrender the initiative. Sterling got forward on 52 minutes and attempting to connect with a pass, fell sprawling at the feet of the onrushing Uzohu. An undignified week was capped by receiving a yellow card – correctly awarded – for diving from Italian referee Marco Guida. Sterling, it seems, will get little from international referees in Russia. 

Pickford shows his assertiveness by rushing off his line to punch clear under pressure from Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel

Pickford shows his assertiveness by rushing off his line to punch clear under pressure from Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel

England manager Southgate takes to the pitch to applaud the home supporters at the final whistle at Wembley Stadium

England manager Southgate takes to the pitch to applaud the home supporters at the final whistle at Wembley Stadium



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