SOCCER/Euro 2007 qualifying, Estonia 0 England 3:England came to Estonia stifling a fear of the ignominy they might suffer in Tallinn but found in the city a quietly satisfying end to an overwrought season. No other visitors have won here by so great a margin in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, even if John Terry did have to kick substitute Tarmo Kink's shot off the line in stoppage-time.
Michael Owen celebrated more than most, taking the lead to 3-0 with his first goal in over a year of injury. It lifted his total to 23 in competitive internationals, breaking a deadlock with Gary Lineker in the record books. It counted for more that England can now look with hope towards the four matches at Wembley in the five fixtures still to be negotiated.
Assessments will be made at the close of the campaign but Steve McClaren has greater job security than he had before kick-off. David Beckham, too, a contributor to two goals, will feel he has done enough to prolong his involvement at international level. This, after all, was a test of a kind for him and his famed team-mates.
England, as planned, found a brisk tempo from the kick-off but Estonia have had plenty of practice at being under pressure and settled into a routine. The visiting fans were tolerant. After the anger and recrimination when they and the national team last went abroad together, for the Andorra fixture, there was the self-conscious courtesy in Tallinn of a couple giving their relationship another chance. The tone was encouraging before and after the national anthem.
A goal that would have inspired spontaneous affection was missing in the first half-hour. McClaren, on the eve of the game, had barely stopped himself from predicting this would be the case. Estonia, as the manager understands, are frequently beaten yet seldom embarrassed. In fact, such was the intensity that Jelle Goes's side had mustered in extending Croatia during the 1-0 defeat here at the weekend that England hoped the home side could not summon up that energy again within four days.
Estonia may not have been quite so vehement but they were still tenacious. That combativeness leads to offences, and a foul on Owen in the fifth minute gave Beckham a handsome opportunity but his free-kick flew wide. England were at least professional as they maintained a high tempo.
There were mainly breakouts to keep the visitors on edge. Ledley King, selected in preference to a surely peeved Jamie Carragher, made one good tackle on lone forward Vladimir Voskoboinikov, and the same Estonia player, on the verge of the interval, had Paul Robinson rushing from his goal to clear. Nonetheless, England's plan was a modest success.
The reinstated Peter Crouch was indeed a trial to Estonia in the air and he also shot wide from a Joe Cole chest-down after a Beckham cross in the 18th minute. Mart Poom had trouble with another Beckham delivery, from a free-kick 10 minutes later, but Owen was thwarted in the attempt to capitalise by the centre-back Andrei Stepanov.
The notion was beginning to take shape that England lacked the finesse to complement a show of fitness, but Cole put paid to that criticism eight minutes from the interval. After Crouch had helped on Wayne Bridge's throw-in, the Chelsea midfielder showed exemplary technique as he controlled the ball and turned to sweep a right-foot shot beyond Poom.
Occasions of this sort seldom make anyone look magisterial and England did as well as was reasonable to expect by being proficient. The purposefulness was apparent in a side who knew their future in Group E and their manager's job were at stake. Steven Gerrard, in particular, flooded the game with energy. England could not afford to flag and loose play by Beckham in the 52nd minute allowed Joel Lindpere to put Konstantin Vassiljev into the penalty area but a skittering shot wide was unimpressive.
Three minutes later Beckham caught the eye for better reasons. Gerrard passed to him on the right and his cross took out the Estonia centre-backs on its way to Crouch. The centre-forward had still to concentrate because the ball bounced and he had to generate enough force to guide his header over Poom for a 2-0 lead.
This evening, which had contained potential awkwardness, was offering fun to England, and Beckham in particular could wallow in the effectiveness he embodied. Owen was the beneficiary after 62 minutes when the Real Madrid player nursed him to his first goal since his comeback from knee surgery. The Newcastle United striker slipped in at the back post to push a cross past Poom. A limping Beckham soon made way for Kieron Dyer but his task had been fulfilled perfectly.
The caps here and against Brazil have illustrated that England are not so endowed with high-class footballers as to ignore him. Beckham's move to LA Galaxy will be completed and McClaren will surely have to call upon him to make those transatlantic trips if England are to complete their journey to the Euro 2008 finals.
ESTONIA:Poom, Jaager, Stepanov, Kruglov, Klavan, Dmitrijev, Lindpere, Vassiljev, Konsa (Neemelo 46), Voskoboinikov, Terehhov (Kink 64). Subs Not Used: Kotenko, Barengrub, Rooba, Leetma, Kams.
ENGLAND:Robinson, Brown, Terry, King, Bridge, Beckham (Dyer 68), Gerrard, Lampard, Cole (Downing 75), Crouch, Owen (Jenas 88). Subs Not Used: Carson, Carragher, Smith, Defoe. Booked: Crouch.
Referee:Grzegorz Gilewski (Poland).
