Spectacular Danny Ings strike caps England win over Wales

England secured their sixth win in a row over Wales with a 3-0 victory in an international friendly at Wembley Stadium on Thursday.

In the first half Wales were by far the most comfortable team in possession, before England took the lead against the run of play. The impressive Jack Grealish whipped a superb cross into the six-yard box for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to head the ball in for a goal on his debut.

Gareth Southgate’s team improved considerably in the second half and finished Wales off with two excellent goals. Connor Coady poked in a deft half-volley from a Kieran Trippier free kick before a spectacular overhead kick from Danny Ings sealed the victory.

England now move on to play Belgium in the Nations League at Wembley on Sunday evening, while Wales travel to Dublin to play the Republic of Ireland in their group earlier in the day.

Can Ryan Giggs regain Wales’ momentum? It was a frustrating night for the Welsh manager as his team were superior in possession in the first half. After a run of eight games without defeat, during which qualification for Euro 2020 was secured and the current Nations League campaign got away to a flier, his much-changed team were put away in the second half as England’s depth from the bench began to show. Wales still have plenty of talent of their own to come back into this team though, and should be encouraged enough by their first half display ahead of their visit to Dublin on Sunday.

He’s relatively new to the England set-up but Grealish is currently playing like he could soon become integral to it. This wasn’t the seminal destruction he inflicted on Liverpool on Sunday, but a performance of composed intent and enough classy touches to suggest that he will be a serious contender for Southgate’s best team very shortly.

England (3-4-3): Pope 6; Gomez 6, Coady 7, Keane 6; Trippier 7, Winks 6, Phillips 6, Saka 6; Ings 7, Calvert-Lewin 7, Grealish 8

SUBS: Mings 6, James 6, Ward-Prowse 6, Mount 7, Maitland-Niles 6, Barnes 6

Wales (4-3-3): Hennessey 7; Connor Roberts 5, Rodon 6, Mepham 5, Davies 6; Ampadu 5, Morrell 6, Williams 6; Tyler Roberts 7, Matondo 6, Moore 6

SUBS: Neco Williams 6, Levitt 5, Gunter 6, Vaulks 6, Smith 6

26’ GOAL! England 1 (Calvert-Lewin 26) Wales 0 It’s a debut goal for the hottest striker in Europe’s big five leagues. Grealish gets the ball in space on the right of the Welsh area. He jinks to his right and whips a lovely ball in to the six-yard box, where Calvert-Lewin rises to nod the ball home.

30’ CHANCE! A long ball over the top splits the England defence. A lovely touch from Moore cushions the ball down but Pope does superbly to nick the ball off his toes just as Moore looked to go around him.

38’ CHANCE! From the corner England scramble the ball to Keane on the right of the area. His cross finds Coady, who brings the ball down but can only balloon a half-volley over the bar from 12 yards out. That was a clean look and a good chance.

GOAL! England 2 (Coady 53) Wales 0 It’s two! From a free kick on the right Trippier whips in a stunning cross to the back post that cuts out the entire Welsh defence. Connor Coady arrives there to jab a crisp half-volley past Hennessey from the edge of the six-yard box and double England's lead.

63’ GOAL! England 3 (Ings 63) Wales 0 What a great goal! England win a corner and plug it into the back post. Mings heads it across the face of goal where Ings, six yards out, throws himself into an overhead kick and thumps the ball into the net!

70’ EXCELLENT SAVE! England work Saka into a shooting position on the left of the area. His drive catches a deflection and Hennessey adjusts well to make a superb one-handed save and parry the ball away.

83’ EXCELLENT SAVE! Cute play from England on the right edge of the area finds Ings, who tries to curl one to the far corner which Hennesey does well to turn around the post. On the replay it becomes a better save than it first appeared as Ings’ shot caught a slight deflection.

Wales have only beaten England at Wembley on one occasion in 18 attempts, a 1-0 victory in the British Home Championship in 1977.