Brilliant Townsend lights up Wembley

WORLD CUP QUALIFIER GROUP H:

Andros Townsend was fined £18,000 and banned for four months in the summer.

That misdemeanour was forgotten last night though as the Tottenham winger took Montenegro apart and then scored the goal that helped England to a 4-1 victory that leaves them just one more win away from booking their place in Brazil.

Handed his debut on the most tense of occasions, Townsend played with a freedom no one else could match.

His run set up Wayne Rooney for England’s opener just after the break and then, after Dejan Damjanovic had cancelled out a bizarre Branko Boskovic own goal, Townsend scored a stunning third, driving straight at the Montenegro defence before producing a brilliant finish from the edge of the area.

It was a priceless contribution for, with Ukraine beating Poland and only having San Marino to play, England had to win to remain in control of their own destiny.

Daniel Sturridge’s injury-time penalty rounded off a handsome victory.

The Liverpool man didn’t reach the heights of his league form and snatched at a couple of chances, then attempted an elaborate near-post finish from Rooney’s low cross at the end of the opening period when a rather more straightforward attempt was called for.

Danny Welbeck went close on a couple of occasions, including one that was deflected to leave Poleksic stranded.

But it was his Manchester United team-mate Rooney who came closest to breaking an increasingly tense deadlock.

Townsend was the architect, smashing a shot at goal Poleksic could only parry into his path.

The angle was tight. However, a player of Rooney’s quality would expect to do far better than clip the outside of a post given the closeness of the contest.

As the half-time break brought news of a result in Kharkiv that meant anything other than victory would almost certainly condemn England to the hazardous play-offs at best, a few nerves could have been forgiven.

None were showing though as within three minutes of the restart England had the goal they craved.

It was no surprise Townsend was heavily involved. He charged down the wing at speed before pulling a cross back that was flicked into Welbeck’s path. His shot did not beat Poleksic but it was hit with enough power to prevent the Montenegro keeper from holding it.

Rooney stuck out a leg, brought the ball under control and from a central position calmly slotted it in.

The sense of relief was palpable, matched almost by stunned amazement at the manner of England’s second.

Sturridge’s back-heel released Welbeck, whose cross was dangerous only for Boskovic, who, from 12 yards, somehow found the bottom corner when he was attempting to clear.

Gerrard and Welbeck both failed to make the game safe but it seemed only a matter of time before someone did.

Instead, Damjanovic got his foot to Fatos Beciraj’s shot to set up a nervous final 19 minutes.

For the first time Hodgson looked a little worried as he sat on the bench, chewing at his nails.

Townsend was not watching though. He just picked up the ball and ran straight through the heart of Montenegro’s defence before producing a brilliant finish.

There was still time for an injury-time penalty, converted by Sturridge after he had been fouled by Ivan Kecojevic, but it was academic.

Beat Poland and England are through. Fail and they head into the play-offs.

ENGLAND: Hart, Walker, Baines, Gerrard (Milner 87), Cahill, Jagielka, Townsend (Wilshere 80), Lampard (Carrick 65), Sturridge, Rooney, Welbeck.

MONTENEGRO: Poleksic, Pavicevic (Beqiraj 57), Jovanovic, Drincic, Kecojevic, Savic, Zverotic, Boskovic, Jovetic (Kasalica 81), Damjanovic, Volkov Booked (Vukcevic 72).

Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco