CROUCH TREBLE SPARKS ENGLAND ROMP

Posted 03/06/06 16:00
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Hat-trick hero Crouch celebrates.

Peter Crouch scored a hat-trick as England crushed Jamaica 6-0 in their final World Cup warm-up match at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Crouch netted in the 29th, 67th and 89th minutes and even missed a penalty as Sven-Goran Eriksson's men gave themselves the perfect tonic ahead of next week's opening game against Paraguay.

The first four goals came in the space of 21 first-half minutes as the home side took advantage of Jamaica's defensive indiscipline.

Frank Lampard, a Jermaine Taylor own goal, Crouch and Michael Owen ensured that the result wasn't in doubt by the interval.

And two more from Crouch in the second half completed the rout.

England, as expected, started with a 4-4-2 formation as Crouch partnered Owen up front and Jamie Carragher replaced the injured Gary Neville at right-back.

Jamaica started brightly but their hopes of springing a massive upset were effictively over just 11 minutes in.

Crouch won a header on the edge of the box, Owen hooked the ball back into the middle and Lampard fired home on the half-volley from 10 yards out.

Six minutes later it was 2-0 as Taylor headed Beckham's dangerous free-kick past his own goalkeeper.

Crouch added the third on 29 minutes, again from a Beckham set-piece, as his volley from a corner was deflected into the net by Jason Euell.

Three minutes later Rio Ferdinand's through ball put Owen in on goal and he rounded Donovan Ricketts before firing into an empty net.

After the break the pace was more sedate but England made it 5-0 as Crouch tapped home from Carragher's low cross. The move had been started by a super Beckham pass.

Crouch, who celebrated his first two goals with his now famous robot dance routine, had the chance to complete his hat-trick after Owen was tripped in the box with eight minutes left.

But he went for a cheeky chip and, to his embarrassment, saw his effort float over the crossbar.

However, the Liverpool man made amends a minute from time as he collected Owen's pass and hit a first-time curler into the bottom corner.

England did have a couple of injury worres in the first half as first John Terry (tight hamstring) and Ashley Cole (thigh) came off injured.