AT half-time, debate was raging over the future of England captain Harry Kane.
Within six minutes of the restart, Kane had effectively won this match – and this Nations League group – with one masterful pass and a penalty kick.
PAAnthony Gordon scored his first England goal[/caption]
ReutersHarry Kane put the Three Lions ahead from the penalty spot[/caption]
PAConor Gallagher tapped in at close range for his first England goal[/caption]
GettyJarrod Bowen broke his England drought with a smart finish from a free-kick[/caption]
ReutersDebutant Taylor Harwood-Bellis even got in on the action[/caption]
At 31 and with plenty of miles on the clock, Kane isn’t as mobile as he used to be – and during a frustrating opening 45 minutes, he had struggled for a touch of the ball and been driven to distraction.
Yet class is permanent and Kane proved as much with one gorgeous pass which teed up Jude Bellingham to win a penalty, reduced Ireland to ten men and handed the England skipper his 69th international goal.
Five minutes later, England were 3-0 up and cruising after Anthony Gordon and Conor Gallagher both netted their first goals for the Three Lions with Ireland’s attempt at parking the bus met with Eval Knievel treatment from Lee Carsley’s men.
Jarrod Bowen also broke his international duck and Taylor Harwood-Bellis nodded in soon after arriving for his debut as a sub.
Carsley’s six-match stint as interim boss must now be considered an overall success as England achieved promotion to the top tier of the Nations League with five wins out of six – and two comprehensive victories this week.
The idea that incoming England boss Thomas Tuchel might not want Kane as his first-choice starting centre-forward always felt far-fetched.
Last year, the German made it his personal mission to sign Kane for Bayern Munich, for whom he has now scored 61 goals in as many appearances.
In Athens on Thursday, Kane was dropped for a meaningful match for the first time in living memory as Carsley handed a start to Ollie Watkins, who netted the opener as England scored an impressive 3-0 win.
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That was a decent glimpse of a useful Plan B for Tuchel – the pace of Watkins an entirely different proposition to Kane’s many attributes.
But for now, Kane as the No9 is still the obvious Plan A. England need his experience, his nous and his sheer weight of goals.
GettyJude Bellingham was instrumental and produced two brilliant assists[/caption]
As well as a recall for Kane, there was a debut here for Newcastle’s Tino Livramento at right-back but Carsley stayed largely loyal to the side who won so convincingly in Athens on Thursday.
There was mutual booing of the national anthems and the usual mass deployment of British soldiers on the Wembley pitch, which must have thrilled the away supporters.
At least they wouldn’t have to endure former Ireland players scoring against them this time, after early goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish condemned them to a 2-0 defeat in Dublin in September.
The boys in green were in fine voice with plenty of ironic cheers for any English mishap – but it was the hosts who were making the running.
Noni Madueke was bamboozling his full-back with some early trickery, cutting back for Curtis Jones to have a shot deflected over.
And from the resulting corner, Kyle Walker – operating at centre-half – got to the near post and glanced a header onto the roof of the net.
Bellingham was producing some eye-pleasing moments but England were labouring to break down the massed Irish defence.
On one occasion, Madueke wriggled free only to be confronted by seven Irishmen sardined into the six-yard box.
GettyIreland unravelled after Liam Scales was sent off[/caption]
GettyGallagher was delighted to open his England account[/caption]
There were occasional Irish counter-attacks – Sammie Szmodics appealing for a penalty after a clumsy Walker challenge.
Kane was struggling to get involved and was cleaned out by one heavy challenge from Liam Scales.
Madueke then made a wild challenge on Callum O’Dowda, earning himself a booking as well as one from Bellingham for a pointless protest.
Kane’s frustrations were exemplified in first-half injury-time, first by him retreating close to his central defenders to collect a pass from Jordan Pickford simply to get involved.
But then the England captain got into a tangle with Jayson Molumby, whom he dragged to the floor – with both players cautioned by Belgian ref Erik Lambrechts.
Yet in the 51st minute, Kane settled this match with one glorious pass from the left wing which picked out Bellingham, who was upended by Scales.
The Celtic defender was handed his second yellow card and Kane despatched the penalty coolly after a deliberate stutter in his run-up.
Kane celebrated exuberantly as if remembering Thursday night’s rare snub.
Ireland’s reduction in manpower was immediately obvious as Livramento charged down the right and produced a cross which cannoned off two Irish defenders before Gordon steered a volley home for a goal made and finished in Newcastle.
The quick-fire third came from a Madueke corner, Marc Guehi soaring at the near post to win a header which was despatched by Gallagher at the back stick, nipping ahead of Bellingham to get the vital touch.
Bowen – who has apparently been the subject of a sustained campaign from gobby West Ham fans towards Carsley – then arrived as a sub and scored a beauty with his first touch.
A free-kick was played short and Bellingham cut back for Bowen to wallop it home, first-time, from the edge of the area.
Harwood-Bellis – whose prospective father-in-law is Roy Keane – then arrived for his debut and promptly added the fifth with a downward header from a glorious Bellingham centre.
Bellingham, by the way, had been magnificent again. He is England’s first-choice No10 as surely as Kane is the starting No9.