England vs. Estonia: Score and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier

England maintained their perfect record during UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers by beating Estonia 2-0 on Friday, with Theo Walcott scoring in the first half and Raheem Sterling ensuring the win late.

Walcott gave the Three Lions a deserved lead just before half-time, and while England showed little in terms of creativity during the second half, a late counter saw Sterling find the net from close range, all but ending the match.

It was far from a vintage performance from the hosts, but with the win, England move a step closer to making history. A win over Lithuania on Monday will see the squad finish the qualifying stages without a single blemish on their record.

As the Three Lions' official Twitter account noted, James Milner was handed the start in midfield over Jonjo Shelvey:

The hosts came into the day two wins away from qualifying with a perfect record for a European championship and on the verge of joining an exclusive club, as Squawka Football noted:

Early on, England's intent to waltz past the visitors was clear. Walcott was the first to test goalkeeper Mihkel Aksalu after just three minutes. Adam Lallana found Gary Cahill with a cross, and the Chelsea man beautifully isolated the forward by chesting it down.

It was the kind of start the fans were hoping for, but the high pace didn't last. England didn't do enough to pressure the Estonians on the ball, and while it didn't lead to danger from the visitors, chances for the hosts were few.

Aksalu had little trouble collecting a tame shot from Ross Barkley, and Ryan Bertrand couldn't trouble the goalkeeper, either, after an impressive run. BBC Sport's Phil McNulty wasn't impressed with what he was seeing:

Harry Kane was too isolated in front of goal, and most of the danger came from the duo of Walcott and Barkley, whose raw athleticism seemed to bother the Estonia defence.

Lallana also made a solid impression in midfield, where the Three Lions easily held off the visitors' attacks. Estonia have won just three of their qualifiers, and it was easy to see why on Friday.

But for all of England's dominance in possession, it didn't immediately result in goals, or even chances. Cahill even had to intervene with a last-second block to deny Taijo Teniste, or there could have been more trouble for the hosts.

Walcott saw an effort go well wide after a nice run, and neither side managed to shine during the first half, per McNulty:

But just as the first half seemed destined to end in a scoreless draw, England's raw quality made the difference. Barkley picked up the ball in a promising position and played a delightful pass to Walcott, who turned inside the box and easily slotted the ball past Aksalu.

Per WhoScored.com, the Arsenal man has been in great form of late:

The same 22 started the second half, and manager Roy Hodgson's men seemed determined to double their lead in a hurry and put an end to the match. Milner freed up Lallana with a clever short free-kick, but his Liverpool team-mate couldn't get the ball past Aksalu.

Barkley produced a stunning bit of skill to find some space and fire a shot just wide of the goal, and Sterling didn't have any more luck after a lovely run down the wing. Bleacher Report's Karl Matchett thought the Manchester City star could have been more efficient on Friday:

Estonia were hardly venturing out of their own half at this point, with the action once again slowing down. Barkley, probably England's best man, again tried to force the issue from distance, but he couldn't find the goal he deserved.

Both teams were in need of some fresh legs, and Hodgson tried to exploit Estonia's tired defence by bringing on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to replace Lallana. 

Barkley remained the main danger man, however, and he came close to doubling England's lead, drawing a fine save from Aksalu with 15 minutes left to play. TV presenter Max Rushden loved the quick feet Barkley showed in creating space for the shot:

Jamie Vardy also found his way onto the pitch late, and the Leicester City man immediately made an impact, busting the Estonian defence wide open before unselfishly laying the ball off for Sterling.

The goal effectively ended the match, with England passing the ball around during the last minutes in anticipation of the final whistle.

England will have the chance to make history on Monday, as a win over Lithuania would see them qualify for Euro 2016 without a single blemish on their record. Fans won't be satisfied with the team's performance on Friday, but it will quickly be forgotten if the Three Lions qualify with a perfect record.

Defensively, the hosts looked solid, and given the strong form of Vardy and Barkley's great showing, there's no reason to believe Lithuania will give the side many problems on Monday.

Post-Match Reaction

As shared by BBC Sport, Hodgson was "satisfied" with the result of the match:

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