• England 5-0 San Marino, World Cup qualifier

England sail past San Marino

Captain Wayne Rooney led by example © PA Photos

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Manchester United strikers Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck led the charge with two goals apiece as England cruised to a 5-0 victory over San Marino at Wembley.

Rooney, wearing the armband in the absence of the suspended Steven Gerrard, led by example in what ultimately proved to be a comfortable victory for Three Lions as they moved three points clear at the top of Group H.

England were always expected to emerge easy victors against the European minnows, but it took Roy Hodgson's side over half an hour to find the net.

Rooney stepped up to open the scoring from the penalty spot after Danny Welbeck, who moments earlier had hit the woodwork, was brought down by Aldo Simoncini.

Welbeck doubled England's advantage three minutes later with a neat finish, flicking the ball past Simoncini from Aaron Lennon's pull-back.

Rooney then sparked a second-half goal flurry, curling in from the left to score his 31st international goal to move ahead of Nat Lofthouse, Tom Finney and Alan Shearer to become England's fifth highest goalscorer.

As in the first half, Welbeck was not far behind, slotting home from Tom Cleverley's ball before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain capped a facile victory with his first senior England goal.

England were also given a boost as Ukraine, who earned a point at Wembley last month, played out a 0-0 draw against Moldova. Ukraine, without Oleg Blokhin due to the coach requiring surgery to remove a blood clot from a carotid artery, failed to produce their best form in Chisinau.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.