sport
  • match commentary
  • European World Cup Qualifiers
  • 7 September 2012, 7:45pm
  • Stadionul Zimbru
MoldovaMoldovavEnglandEngland
05
  • Lampard, pen 3
  • Lampard, 29
  • Defoe, 32
  • Milner, 74
  • Baines, 83

live commentary

FULL-TIME: ENGLAND WIN! A walk in a very bobbly park for England. A brace from Frank Lampard was accompanied by a James Milner strike and fortuitous goals for Jermain Defoe and Leighton Baines. England could have had many, many more tonight but ultimately decided five was enough. Thanks for joining Orange's live coverage. Stay tuned for the full-match report.

90 mins: Two minutes are addded on before we are able to confirm something we have known ever since the third minute.

88 mins: England are down to ten men, but don't worry too much as nobody has been sent off. Terry isn't moving around too well so he won't be risked any more, meaning Carrick reverts to centre-back.

86 mins: Walcott tries to add further misery on Moldova but his shot from inside the left of the area is very tame.

80 mins:Moldova win a couple of corners and both of them are dealt with by Lampard at the near post. Patras tries yet another long-range shot which Hart saves comfortably.

77 mins: The tempo slows right down again as England let the Moldova side knock the ball around with no real intent or purpose.

74 MINS: GOAL FOR ENGLAND! They are toying with Moldova now! Cleverley, Welbeck and Walcott ping the ball around in the area, until the latter play it back to MILNER to belt in from the edge of the area. That's his first goal for England at this level!

69 mins: Roy Hodgson makes his third and final substitution as Welbeck comes on to replace goalscorer Defoe. A successful 50th appearance for the Tottenham striker.

66 mins: Carrick does well to hook the ball back out wide to Lampard. The Blues midfielder finds Cleverly in the area but he drags another shot wide of the goal. He could've had a hat-trick himself tonight.

63 mins: Moldova are trying their best to get on the scoresheet but their non-existant creativity means Hart can continue to watch on as an innocent bystander.

60 mins: There's an almighty scramble in the Moldova box after Milner's free-kick causes problems. The hosts then break forward with Picusciac but the white shirts are soon back in numbers to neatly sweep up.

57 mins: Namasco goes down with a head injury which gives England time to make their second sub. Walcott replaces fellow Gunner Oxlade-Chamberlain to give the Three Lions some fresh legs on the right.

55 mins:England switch off a little and are forced into some deep defending. Gatcan gets the best shot away but it's deflected well away from Hart's goal.

51 mins: Oxlade-Chamberlain shows good vision to slide in Milner from the right-hand side. The cross is an awkward one for Namasco to claim but does well to catch from right under his crossbar.

48 mins: England immediately go on the hunt for another, but they'll have to try again as Cleverley can only scuff his shot from Milner's cross over the bar.

45 mins: Welcome back for the second where England restart us. With the game seemingly done and dusted, Hodgson decides to rest Stevie G and replace him with Carrick. There's also a sub for Moldova which I won't bore you with

HALF-TIME:The ref calls time on a routine, straight-forward first-half for England. Lampard's 24th and 25th goals fo the Three Lions were soon followed up by Defoe making his 50th England appearance. Join me again in 15 minutes to see if they can reach double figures.

44 mins: Armas nearly reduces the deficit for Moldova as his header from a left-sided corner flashes past the back stick.

42 mins: There's a queue of England players waiting to tap in at the far post but Cleverley's cross is sent over the bar from the right after a nasty bobble.

41 mins: Oxlade-Chamberlain tries to help create a fourth for England but after initially flying past Bulgaru, he is ushered out of play. Moments later, Defoe fails to keep his shot down after a snazzy turn.

38 mins: Epureanu wins the header in the area but it's not troubling Hart one bit as it loops into the 1000-strong England crowd.

35 mins: Moldova are trying to keep the ball to stop England scoring again rather than do anything meaningful with it. They do have a free-kick though near the right corner flag as Baines handballs.

32 MINS: DEFOE MAKES IT THREE! The keeper is having a shocker here. DEFOE drills an ambitious shot goalwards from a tight angle on the right, and watches on with glee as it wriggles under Namasco. They think it's Moldova. It is now.

29 MINS: BRACE FOR LAMPARD! England are making this look very easy. Johnson sends an absolutely quality ball into the area and LAMPARD is left with the simple task of nodding it past the perplexed Moldova keeper. That brings up his 25th goal for England!

27 mins: After another long-range shot from Patras is easily saved by Hart, England attack with Johnson who forces the Moldova keeper to make a very scrappy save.

24 mins: England win a free-kick just outside the area after Moldova captain Epureanu is penalised for handball. Lampard tees up Gerrard, who sends the ball whistling over the crossbar with a real firecracker of a shot.

21 mins: I don't think they'll be many more long balls up to Defoe as he is easily beaten to the ball by Golovatenco.

19 mins: Patras lets rip from a good 30 yards out and Hart's dramatic dive to his right made the shot look miles better than it actually was. It gives the home fans some encouragement anyway.

16 mins: Moldova are just trying to settle on the ball a little but it's not long before England are soon back in possession.

Nich, Zimbru Stadium - " Great atmosphere around town today despite the small numbers travelling. Beer at 45p a pint helps. Very poorly marshalled outside the ground though, with danger of crushing."

11 mins: Defoe has the ball in the area again and this time forces Namasco in the Moldovan goal into a diving stop. It's like playing against a four-year-old on Fifa at the moment.

9 mins: Oh it should be 2-0! Defoe races to the near post to meet a low cross from the left, but he awkwardly turns it wide of the post.

6 mins: Moldova try to take the game to England and Johnson is booked for preventing a quick free-kick being taken. A few pennies will be off in his swear box after the game.

3 MINS: LAMPARD SCORES! Never in doubt. The Chelsea midfielder thrashes it low into the bottom left corner which Namasco had no chance of stopping. Dare I say game over?

2 MINS: PENALTY TO ENGLAND! Roy's boys make a bright start and surge forward along the bumpy surface. Cleverley's vicious strike in the area smashes into the hand of Bulgaru, and the ref points to the spot! A bit harsh that on the Moldovan defender it has to be said. Anyway, Lampard steps up...

0 mins: Beeep! Moldova, all in blue, kick-off and will play from left to right as I see it. England are decked in bright white.

Jonathan, Macclesfield - "England to win 3-0 with Defoe to get 2. Comfortable start to campaign."

1940: We're just a couple of national anthems and a few handshakes away from kick-off. Thanks for your comments so far. Make sure to keep 'em coming!

Hello and welcome to the match we've all been waiting for...Moldova v England at the Stadionul Zimbru. The road to the quarter-finals of Brazil 2014 starts here.

As you can see below, the England team looks a bit depleted after a whopping nine players were ruled out but there *should* be enough quality there to see off a team ranked 141st in the world.

England boss Roy Hodgson opts for an exciting, dynamic partnership in midfield with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Elsewhere, Jermain Defoe is preferred to Danny Welbeck up front and there's a start too for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Orange's Mark Scott will bring you live commentary from 1945. In the mean time send in your predictions, and any bets you've got on tonight via the box above. He's opted for a 4-0 England win with Lescott scoring first. It's nailed on.

Moldova: Namasco, Armas, Epureanu, Bulgaru, Golovatenco, Kovalchuk, Gatcan, Onica, Suvorov, Patras, Picusciac. Subs: Pascenco, Racu, Ovseanicov, Cebotaru, Bordiyan, Doros, Sidorenco, Pascenco, Dedov, Ivanov, Alexeev, Negai.

England: Hart, Johnson, Terry, Lescott, Baines, Gerrard, Lampard, Cleverley, Oxlade Chamberlain, Milner, Defoe. Subs: Walker, Ruddy, Bertrand, Cahill, Carrick, Jagielka, Walcott, Sturridge, Welbeck, Butland.

text the commentator

team line-up

1Stanislav Namasco
3Victor Golovatenco
6Alexandu Epureanu
2Igor Armas
18Arthur Patras
4Alexandru Onica
13Simion Bulgaru
7Serghei Covalciuc
8Alexandru Gatcan
16Alexandru Suvorov45
9Igor Picusceac76

substitutes

23Andrian Negai
15Anatolie Doros
20Aleksandru Dedov45
14Vitaliy Bordiyan
17Eugeniu Sidorenco8376
12Serghei Pascenco
10Gheorghe Ovseannicov83
12Mihail Paseciniuc
11Eugeniu Cebotaru
5Petru Racu
22Serghei Alexeev
21Stanislav Ivanov
19Alexandr Pascenco

referee

Pol van Boekel

team line-up

1Joe Hart
2Glen Johnson
6John Terry
5Joleon Lescott
3Leighton Baines
10Tom Cleverley
11Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain58
8Frank Lampard
7James Milner
4Steven Gerrard45
9Jermain Defoe68

substitutes

13John Ruddy
18Theo Walcott58
19Daniel Sturridge
20Danny Welbeck68
17Phil Jagielka
21Jack Butland
14Ryan Bertrand
15Gary Cahill
12Kyle Walker
16Michael Carrick45

referee

Pol van Boekel

match stats

possession %4257
shots on target29
shots off target46
corners44
tackles won1421
offsides20