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England Ladies 8 Malta Ladies 0
England: Karen Bardsley, Alex Scott, Rachel Unitt, Danielle Buet, Faye White (Lindsay Johnson 59), Laura Bassett, Jess Clarke, Jill Scott, Lianne Sanderson (Jody Handley 53), Fara Williams (Emily Westwood 68), Sue Smith.
Malta: Sharon Costantino, Natasha Pace, Rebecca Dagostino, Dorianne Theuma, Ylenia Carabott, Rachel Cushieri, Rebecca Chircop (Kathleen Saliba 64), Catherine Camilleri (Marisa Deguara 51), Mandy Debono (Chantal Marie French 85), Kimberly Parnis, Charlene Zammit.
England Ladies got their World Cup qualifying campaign underway with a completely one sided victory over a Malta side painfully short of international standard. By the end England had run up eight goals without reply but Hope Powell was still bemoaning missed chances.
That was not without reason. Spain have already put thirteen past Malta and this group could end up being settled by goal difference.
From the start the game was a procession towards Sharon Costantino in the Malta goal and the keeper did well to deny Lianne Sanderson with her feet after a clever dink by Fara Williams set the striker free.
England did break the deadlock on seven minutes after Fara Williams had been fouled on the right wing. Sue Smith went for the near post with the free kick and the ball rebounded from the base of the woodwork to allow Faye White a tap in from two yards.
England continued to press and Williams looked certain to score after rounding Costantino from Dani Buet's long through ball only to shoot into the side netting from a narrowing angle.
Costantino then enjoyed an inspired couple of minutes as she denied both Sanderson and Jess Clarke. Her save from Clarke, flicking a Smith centre goalwards from close range, was especially good while Sanderson would have been disappointed not to score with time to pick her spot from twelve yards.
Williams finally increased the lead midway through the half when Smith and Sanderson combined to lay a chance on a plate but then missed the target when Sanderson put her clear again.
England's third goal was a scrappy affair. Sue Smith may have been looking for Buet on the edge of the box from a short corner but the pass was delivered with unnecessary elevation, Buet's attempted volley was completely scuffed and when a defender ignored a chance to clear Clarke was able to poke in at the far post.
Three minutes later England scored a more impressive goal. Fara Williams began the move in central midfield and Jill Scott carried it forward with some neat footwork before feeding Clarke wide on the right. The winger whipped in a good centre which Sanderson dummied and Williams was arriving right on cue to guide the ball into the bottom corner.
Half Time: England Ladies 4 Malta Ladies 0
Malta hadn't managed an attempt on goal during the first half and that wasn't about to change after half time as Karen Bardsley remained completely unemployed while the rest of the England side went about the job of scoring more goals.
Fara Williams continued to be at the centre of everything and she came close to scoring the fifth with a dipping shot from long range that dropped onto the roof of the net.
Then, within the space of three minutes, she drew two fouls out of Natasha Pace and the visitors centre half was sent off. If possible Malta were now even more defensive in their approach.
Jody Handley, just on as a substitute, sent a low drive narrowly wide of the far post but the visitors goal was not breached again until twenty minutes of the second half had passed. Williams was again the scorer, completing her hat trick, as she rose in front of the keeper to head home a fast, inswinging centre from Sue Smith.
Jill Scott sent a header looping onto the top of the bar from a Smith corner but when the winger then sent an identical cross into the middle England scored again.
Clarke headed the first chance against a post but was then able to sneak a low shot past a possee of defenders from five yards out.
England's seventh goal was their most spectacular as Emily Westwood fastened onto a woeful goal kick and hammered it back into the top corner from twenty five yards.
Two minutes from the end the scoring was completed when a neat move ended with Buet backheeling into the path of Alex Scott whose shot was parried and Rachel Unitt was on hand to knock in the eighth.
It is not often a team wins by eight goals and there is still an air of disappointment within the ranks but that was the case here. In truth, however, games like this seldom bring the best out of the dominant team as they go about the task of slaughtering completely passive opposition.
