00:00Sol Campbell, his country's captain for the second time and in prime club form.
00:05Otherwise, Ian Wright is good for the chemistry in any dressing room
00:08and becomes the oldest out-and-out striker to start for England.
00:11You can hardly ignore a man who's scoring at two and a half goals a game for his club.
00:15So Dion Doubling, like Martin, Butt, Keown and Merson, gets a season's first cap.
00:21Only four of this starting XI began the game in Luxembourg five weeks ago.
00:26So, seven of the Czech XI played here in the Euro 96 final two and a half years ago.
00:31Included amongst those, Karol Paborski, who's been into Manchester and out again since then,
00:36and Patrick Berger, still at Liverpool.
00:39Lazio's Pavel Njergveld is injured.
00:41Others to note in a reborn side that hasn't lost in 1998.
00:45Vladimir Smica, who'll be back here with Launce next week in the Champions League,
00:49and goalkeeper Petra Koba, whose most recent playing memory of Wembley
00:53is a vain attempt to prevent Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal.
00:58Tonight's referee is a Swiss neutral.
01:01Urs Meyer is one of FIFA's preferred diplomats.
01:04His World Cup postings this summer included the United States against Iran.
01:14into the final act of England's international calendar year.
01:19So much promise it offered, the peak and the trough within a couple of heart-rending hours
01:23in Saint-Γtienne, an indifferent autumn, and now just this game
01:27to offer something upbeat on which to ring the year out.
01:31It's England's 14th.
01:35This is Darren Anderson.
01:37Aimed towards a new front two.
01:40The old new front two of Dublin and Wright.
01:44Out by Berger.
01:47Now this is Vladimir Smica.
01:50Latal.
01:53And Nigel Martin is tested rather earlier than he would have wished.
01:58Darren Anderson was the man who got himself in a tangle.
02:00Very slack play by both wing-backs there.
02:03First of all, Graham Lusso taking a gamble he didn't need to take.
02:06And then Darren Anderson find himself in a defensive position.
02:10And he would much prefer to be a bit further forward.
02:13But sometimes when you play wing-back,
02:15you find yourself in those situations.
02:17He's got to handle them better.
02:23Ferdinand striding out of his own half.
02:26He had Merson in support.
02:28It's Merson's ball which turned out to be neither one thing nor the other.
02:32Well, he's apologising there because at the far post,
02:35totally unmarked was Ian Wright.
02:38But surprisingly for someone of Merson's ability,
02:40he couldn't deliver what was probably quite an easy ball.
02:45has Kuka in front of him.
02:47And Kuka is towards the edge of the penalty area.
02:50It's Kuka's shots.
02:51It's hit the crossbar.
02:57Another genuine scare for England.
03:03Well, that was wonderful link-up play there from the Czech team.
03:06I mean, great ball.
03:08And this man, he knew exactly what he wanted to do there, did Kuka.
03:12He knew that Martin would be a little bit off his line
03:15because he had to be to narrow the angle in case he hit it hard.
03:17And he played the most wonderful chip.
03:20The only thing he didn't have was that little bit of luck.
03:27The Mets with the ball in, but away.
03:29Beckham collecting, Le Sofri on the left-hand side.
03:34And Wright in plenty of space as well now.
03:36And Dublin coming up to join him.
03:39Novotny at his back, but Wright's gone away from Novotny.
03:43It's come to Andersson!
03:48Terrifically calm finish.
03:52A smile for him, a smile for England, and a lift for Wembley Stadium.
03:59This is a great finish from Darren Anderton, but the work was done by Wright.
04:03What you don't see there is how he peeled and drew Novotny out.
04:07And then what a lovely ball, pulling it back behind the defenders.
04:10In he comes, left foot, passes it into the corner of the net.
04:13Watch this wonderful run from Wright.
04:17And then a lovely turn.
04:19And he doesn't wait and look up.
04:20He knows, he just puts it in the danger area.
04:22What a finish.
04:25Seventh international goal for Darren Anderton.
04:28The first since that belter against Colombia in Lourdes.
04:34And one that English international football you feel really wanted.
04:40It's another England corner.
04:43Well, this is much, much better from England.
04:45They've survived the difficult opening period.
04:49Lovely ball here from Merson.
04:50Just went back and wanted it.
04:51He had to miss the first man, didn't he?
04:53And Dublin was at the back post.
04:57England's stepping on it a bit now.
05:02Beckham hit the first man.
05:04Anderton the scorer.
05:05David Beckham again.
05:07Better cross this time.
05:11Berger.
05:12Back to Campbell.
05:14Through by Beckham.
05:15Campbell.
05:15Anderton.
05:17Just needed a touch.
05:25They change games, but they give people confidence.
05:28And suddenly there's a spring in the step of a few England players that wasn't evident five minutes ago.
05:33Four big targets.
05:35Ferdinand and Campbell forward.
05:37Wright and Dublin there as well.
05:39It's a class ball in from Beckham.
05:43Keogh.
05:44Keogh.
05:44Straight up Berger.
05:46Flag stayed down, though Kuka seemed to be in advance at the last defender.
05:52Bebo.
05:56Wright again.
05:59And Beckham again.
06:02It's out.
06:03And it seemed to have come last off Beckham.
06:08For a goal come.
06:10Beckham.
06:10England's starting to purr now.
06:13Beckham's ball in.
06:14Dublin back post.
06:16Dublin's header.
06:16Wright going in there.
06:18There was plenty of bodily contact.
06:20And Wright thought he was hard done by.
06:25Ian Wright.
06:28Paul Merson.
06:30Wright's in plenty of space again.
06:32He's making his own yardage.
06:35It's Wright's ball in.
06:37It's Dublin with the header.
06:38It's Paul Merson.
06:39It's 2-0 England.
06:45Really so incisive.
06:50Oh, it's a wonderful goal again.
06:52It's Wright again with these runs.
06:54And Novotny just can't handle them.
06:55And not only is he making good runs.
06:59Great delivery.
07:00Dublin a lovely flick on.
07:02And Merson.
07:04A clinical finish.
07:11John Gregory said, you've got to get the ball in the box to Dublin.
07:15Well, if you do, he does things like that.
07:16If he can't score himself, he sets people up.
07:21What a finish.
07:22Constructed on the Villa Park training surface.
07:29It's an upbeat note which Glenn Hoddle can begin his team talk with.
07:35The first 15 minutes maybe were a little nervous.
07:38Since then though, England have got it together and some.
07:41The first goal cleverly stroked in by Darren Anderton.
07:46And the second, constructed like the first by Ian Wright.
07:50Helped on by Dublin.
07:51And finished with aplomb by Paul Merson.
07:54The English international football has a smile.
07:57And if it ends this way, he just might as well.
08:00Half time at Wembley Stadium.
08:02England 2.
08:03The Czech Republic 0.
08:05Decides to go on a run.
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