Owen rescues pedestrian England

Michael Owen yesterday saved Paul Gascoigne's birthday from becoming a wake and in a manner to which England hope they will shortly become accustomed. The 18-year-old Liverpool striker's first goal in a full senior international also redeemed another laborious performance by Glenn Hoddle's team.

Owen struck in the 58th minute, from Steve McManaman's pass, after Morocco's more imaginative football had dominated England's pedestrian midfield and further emphasised the defensive resilience of Martin Keown and Gareth Southgate. Until Owen scored, the game was rapidly becoming a searching, not to mention revealing, examination of Paul Gascoigne's fitness to command a regular place in the World Cup.

Gascoigne, given the full 90 minutes, left you wondering if he had enough breath to blow out the 31 candles on his birthday cake. He finished the game better than he started it and might have scored two late goals, but the number of unforced errors he made before half-time made it difficult to see how England's coach can omit McManaman from his final 22 while making a case for Gascoigne's retention.

Owen, meanwhile, looks the business. The striker appeared yesterday only because Ian Wright, partnering Dion Dublin up front, went off with hamstring trouble after 26 minutes, reducing his chances of making the final squad to be announced on Monday.

From the outset England laboured, and again the problems lay in the regularity with which the midfield was outpaced and outmanoeuvred. Paul Ince, fit despite overnight concern about his injured ankle, attempted to provide a defensive wedge in front of the back three while Gascoigne and McManaman pushed forward. Ince did his job, but in the first half the other two couldn't hold the ball long enough.

England's football became cramped and narrow, with movements often broken up before they came within scoring range. Dublin and Wright had to come deep to maintain contact with the midfield. After half-time Graeme Le Saux's willingness to push up more on the left flank gave England the attacking width they needed. Le Saux set Owen in motion in the 48th minute and suddenly the Moroccan defence was left breathless as the teenager outpaced Rossi before being checked.

Then, Ince and McManaman at last found the speed and accuracy of pass to penetrate Morocco's cover. Owen was just offside as he slipped through on to McManaman's pass, but this was still the shape of things soon to come.

After 58 minutes, Sol Campbell broke up a Moroccan attack and as the ball was cleared one of their centre-backs, Rachid Negrouz, lay injured in the penalty area. But play continued and Ince's header found McManaman, whose quick pass released Owen, this time on-side and sprinting past Abdelkrim El Hadrioui like a whippet.

The rest was inevitable. Owen coolly drew Benzekri off his line and slipped the ball into the net.

England: Flowers, Keown, Le Saux, Ince, Campbell, Southgate, Anderton, Gascoigne, Dublin (L. Ferdinand 79), Wright (Owen 26), McManaman. Subs Not Used: R. Ferdinand, Walker, Neville, Butt, Lee. Booked: Keown. Goals: Owen 59.

Morocco: Benzekri, Saber, Rossi, Negrouz, Hadrioui, Chiba (Amzine 63), Taher, Chippo (Sellami 79), Bassir, Ouakili (Reda 73), Rokki (El Khattabi 63). Subs Not Used: Triki, Abrami, Azzouzi, Laroussi, Abdeiaoui, Chadi, Chadili. Booked: Rokki. Att: 80,000 Referee: M Daami (Tunisia).