BIRMINGHAM, England :England needed an own goal to open the scoring during a laboured 2-0 win over Andorra in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday before Declan Rice made the result somewhat more respectable against the tiny principality ranked 170 places below them.
A fourth win in four for Thomas Tuchel's team in their campaign for next year's finals put them in command of Group K on 12 points ahead of Tuesday's game in Serbia.
But their often slow build-up play did not excite the near-40,000 Villa Park crowd and will fuel grumbles that they have become a duller team in nearly a year under German coach Thomas Tuchel despite his perfect record in qualifiers.
England's opener came in the 25th minute when a fine cross from Noni Madueke skimmed off Andorra defender Christian Garcia's head into the net with Harry Kane lurking behind him.
Rice added the second in the 67th minute when he met another superb cross, from Reece James this time, to steer a downward header past goalkeeper Iker Alvarez to wrap up the victory against 174th-ranked Andorra.
Andorra, who draw their squad from a population of 80,000, stuck doggedly to their gameplan of packing the defence, often keeping nine men behind the ball and leaving Ricard Fernandez totally isolated up front.
That gave England a remarkable 83 per cent possession, but the hosts fashioned few clear-cut chances beyond Eberechi Eze forcing a save, captain Kane narrowly missing a toe-poke and Marcus Rashford curling a shot wide.
One positive for Tuchel, though, was an impressive debut from midfielder Elliot Anderson, who looked assured and slick, albeit against opposition far inferior to what he normally faces in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest.
"I think he passed the test," Tuchel
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