Match Analysis: England 4-0 Moldova

Danny Welbeck scored a brace as England recorded a 4-0 win over Moldova in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley this evening.

Captain Steven Gerrard opened the scoring early on, before Rickie Lambert doubled the advantage.

It was then over to Welbeck, who scored either side of the break to secure the victory for the home side.

Below, Sports Mole looks back over the clash to determine if the Three Lions were worthy winners.

Match statistics:

England: Shots 23 On target 13 Possession 65% Corners 9 Fouls 12

Moldova: Shots 2 On target 0 Possession 35% Corners 1 Fouls 11

Was the result fair?

You rarely get a 4-0 scoreline that is unjust and this encounter was no different. Moldova showed no ambition from the first whistle, as was expected, and so it was only a matter of time before England opened them up. If anything, the home side deserved a couple more goals.

England's performance

As mentioned above, the only criticism can be that they didn't win by a greater margin. You can only beat what is put in front of you, though, and Roy Hodgson's side did that comprehensively. There is also a danger of either a lack of concentration or composure creeping in, but credit to England because they didn't allow that to take hold.

Moldova's performance

Zero shots on target and two in total tells you all you need know - Moldova offered very little. On the plus side, they limited England, albeit with some luck, to four goals.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Steven Gerrard: The opposition may have not been up to much, but Gerrard didn't let that hamper his concentration. He rarely wasted the ball when in possession and dictated play from a deeper midfield role. Add to that his trademark drilled goal early on and the Liverpool man can be happy with his work.

Biggest gaffe

With the greatest of respect to Moldova goalkeeper Stanislav Namasco, he produced so many contenders for this award it is untrue. He claims it for his part in England's third goal, when he rushed off his line, only to show a lack of bravery and basic goalkeeping skills to allow Welbeck to roll the ball into an unguarded net.

Referee performance

It was never going to be the most challenging match for Ivan Kruzliak to officiate, thanks largely to the fact that one team dominated so much. He did make one error when he issued Welbeck with a yellow card for kicking the ball away, even though he'd blown his whistle just a second before. It meant that the England striker is now out of the next qualifier.

What next?

England: It's an important encounter next time out for the Three Lions when they travel to Ukraine, who recorded a 9-0 win over San Marino this evening.

Moldova: The Moldovans are not back in action until October when they play host to minnows San Marino.