World Cup: Three Lions smash three into the net as Senegal are ‘Kaned’

It wasn’t quite like watching paint dry but it sure wasn’t a rock concert for the first half hour of the Round of 16 England versus Senegal game on Sunday night.

Metronomic, predictable and deliberate, the Three Lions were slowly and surely setting Senegal up for a fall.

The Lions of Teranga actually had the better of the early chances but this proved to be their downfall as they increased in boldness and lost track of the fact that England’s young midfield guns needed to be closely watched.

The wake-up call came following a terrific save by Jordan Pickford after the ref missed a Senegal hand ball in the build-up.

Pushing forward again, Senegal were caught on the break as Jude Bellingham strode ahead and cut the ball inside for Jordan Henderson to ram it home (1-0).

This was followed by a Bukayo Sacca corner that Harry Kane headed far too high over the bar.

But the England skipper scored his first of the tournament when Bellingham

won the ball on the edge of his box and majestically ate up metres before slipping a pass to Phil Foden and he picked out the run of Kane, who blasted it unerringly into the net, as he has done countless times for Tottenham (2-0).

England’s dominance continued in the second period, and with it another goal.

Foden was again the provider as he skinned his marker and served the ball on a plate to Sacca, who feasted on the chance with a cute dink over keeper Edouard (3-0).

A procession of substitutions followed, one of them Marcus Rashford, who received the ball on the wing and sprinted down the right before putting a slide rule pass on the penalty spot where Kane was milliseconds too late to male contact.

England weren’t quite freewheeling after that but they were certainly in cruise control as the game petered out as a contest.

Three more goals, another clean sheet and France lined up for the quarter finals. Gareth Southgate might even permit himself a smile at the prospect.