ney scores one and hits the woodwork twice
England4
Rooney 6′Welbeck 45′Sterling 58′Kane 73′
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- Rooney scores one and hits the woodwork twice
Welbeck and Sterling also on target for England
-Substitute Kane scores first international goal on debut
England remain six points clear at the top of Group E
Harry Kane scored 79 seconds into his England debut and Wayne Rooney moved a step closer to Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time goalscoring record in a routine Euro 2016 dismissal of Lithuania at Wembley.
Kane - with 29 goals for Tottenham this season - emerged as a substitute after 70 minutes with England already on the way to a fifth win from five qualifiers with goals from Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Raheem Sterling.
The stage was set for the 21-year-old but even the man with the Midas touch in front of goal this season would have struggled to believe he would score with his third touch as a full England international, heading in Sterling's cross at the far post.
It was the final flourish on an England win that was little more than a formality in a group that surely provides the safest of passages to France next summer.
Rooney got the night off to the perfect start when he headed his 47th goal for England after only six minutes, leaving him just two adrift of Charlton's tally ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Italy in Turin. Phil's man of the match
Danny Welbeck - 8. "Deserved to keep his place and made it six goals in this Euro 2016 campaign. Plenty will now call for him to be left out for Harry Kane - but has been excellent for England."
Read the full ratings here
England's captain also hit the woodwork twice before man of the match Welbeck, who deservedly kept his place despite public clamour for Kane's inclusion, headed a deflected second just before half-time.
Sterling was rewarded for a lively performance with his first England goal - but it was Kane who did what he has been doing all season and stole the show with a predator's effort as part of a confident cameo.
Hodgson refused to rush Kane into his England starting line-up despite his golden run of form but he will be delighted that he has demonstrated, albeit briefly and against desperately poor opposition, that he is an added weapon in his attacking armoury.
In the wider context of Euro 2016, Lithuania provided further proof of how England have been handed a gloriously favourable group in which to continue their rehabilitation following the World Cup debacle in Brazil. There could never be any excuses for not reaching France.
Rooney started the night with Charlton's record firmly in his sights - and could have equalled it by the interval.
He was put through by Fabian Delph in the third minute but slid a low shot against the post with Lithuania keeper Giedrius Arlauskis beaten.
Rooney was not to be kept at bay for long, and he took another stride towards that landmark three minutes later with a simple header from six yards after Arlauskis blocked Welbeck's shot.
A looping header against the woodwork and a low free-kick clutched by Arlauskis continued Rooney's efforts - but it was Welbeck who ended any fanciful suggestion that this might develop into a serious contest with England's second from a deflected header right on half-time.
It was little more than a procession and Arlauskis distinguished himself again with a superb save from Delph's volley and a Welbeck snapshot as England resumed the siege.
The gallant keeper was powerless to stop England adding a third just before the hour, Sterling's simple tap-in the perfect conclusion to Rooney's inviting cross.
The moment Kane, and indeed most of Wembley, had been waiting for arrived with 20 minutes left as he was introduced, along with Everton's Ross Barkley, for Rooney and Jordan Henderson.
And in keeping with the rest of his season, he penned the final chapter of this Wembley storyline on a dr
eam England debut.
Wayne Rooney has now scored 19 goals since Roy Hodgson took charge of the England team in 2012
Rooney became the first England player since June 2010 to hit the woodwork twice in the same match
Danny Welbeck has scored six goals in five Euro 2016 qualification matches for England
Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling's second-half goal was his first for England
England have only conceded two goals in seven matches since the 2014 World Cup
Lineup, B
ookings (3) & Substitutions (6)
England
01 Hart
02 Clyne
05 Cahill
06 Jones
03 Baines
04 Henderson (Barkley - 71' )
08 Carrick
11 Delph
07 Sterling Booked
10 Rooney (Kane - 72' )
09 Welbeck (Walcott - 77' )
Substitutes
12 Smalling
13 Butland
14 Walcott
15 Jagielka
16 Milner
17 Townsend
18 Kane
19 Mason
20 Barkley
21 Gibbs
22 Walker
23 Green
Lithuania
01 Arlauskis
03 Freidgeimas
06 Zaliukas Booked
04 Kijanskas
23 Andriuskevicius (Slavickas - 83' )
15 Chvedukas
05 Mikuckis (Stankevicius - 66' )
07 Zulpa
13 Mikoliunas (Kazlauskas - 88' Booked )
22 Cernych
09 Matulevicius
Substitutes
02 Vicius
08 Vaitkunas
10 Sirgedas
11 Kazlauskas
12 Zubas
14 Luksa
16 Beniusis
17 Slavickas
18 Panka
19 Stankevicius
20 Borovskis
21 Cerniauskas
Ref: Pavel Kralovec
Att: 83,671
The current Champions League holders progressed despite the major
scare but will be keen to get back to winning ways after a poor run of
form that has seen them drop to second in La Liga behind arch-rivals
Barcelona.
the top of the table chelsea will host southampton at STANFORD BRIDGE.. with a previous draw with psg.... will chelsea take it all or the sons of st.marys will head back with a victory?
