England revive qualification hopes

LONDON, England -- England rekindled their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 with a commanding 3-0 win over Israel at Wembley in a Group E encounter on Saturday.

A 20th-minute strike by Shaun Wright-Phillips and second half goals from Michael Owen and Micah Richards gave Steve McClaren's men a much-needed three points.

It lifted them above Israel into third place in the group.

Croatia, who beat Estonia 2-0 in Zagreb with Eduardo Da Silva scoring twice, top the group with 20 points.

Russia, who saw off Macedonia 3-0, are in second place, two points adrift with England a further point behind

The top two teams qualify for the finals Austria and Switzerland next summer.

"It was a good perfomance, a good win and a good result, but its all about Wednesday now," said McClaren in reference to the crucial visit of Russia in midweek.

After the recalled Emile Heskey had blazed England's best early chance over the crossbar and also saw a headed effort well saved, home nerves were settled by a timely goal.

Joe Cole's cross from the left was met by Wright-Phillips on the full with the ball ending high in the roof of the net.

With Heskey causing continuous problems for the Israel defense and Wright-Phillips, who replaced the injured David Beckham, using his pace down the right in tandem with Richards, England created a string of first half chances.

Owen wasted the best, his shot coming back off the face of the Israeli keeper Dudu Aouate and the follow-up going lamely over the crossbar.

But the Newcastle striker atoned for his wastefulness only four minutes into the second half, turning sharply from a Gareth Barry pass to beat Aouate with an unstoppable shot from 20 meters.

It was his 38th international goal for England and he will have scarcely scored better.

Barry, replacing the injured Owen Hargreaves, gave an assured performance in midfield, marked by incisive distribution, and it was his 66th minute corner which was met by the head of Richards to put England 3-0 ahead.

Aouate's protests that he had been impeded drew only a yellow card and he will miss Wednesday's match against Croatia.

Israel will go into that match off the back of a distinctly lackluster performance, barely troubling the England back four and goalkeeper Paul Robinson who did not have a shot to save.

The only sour note for England was the jeers which met the arrival of second half substitute David Bentley, who came on for the excellent Wright-Phillips.

Bentley had opted out the England under-21 team for the European Championships in the summer, citing tiredness. E-mail to a friend