England dominated from start to finish but could score only two goals against a disciplined Malta in a World Cup 2018 qualifier

Playing before 81,000 people at Wembley Stadium, Ghedin’s boys played an admirable game in defence, with goalkeeper Hogg the protagonist of a few good saves that kept the result very respectable.

England scored their two goals in the first half, but could not add more after the interval in spite of creating a few good chances.

England kept possession of the ball for long periods against a Malta side trying to limit the damage with a 5-4-1 formation.

Rooney went close after seven minutes, his shot from outside the box parried by Hogg.

The Maltese keeper was also sharp on a Dele Alli header from close range after 21 minutes.

Sturridge gave England a 1-0 lead after 29 minutes, his header brushing the post to beat Hogg.

England relaxed even more after the opening goal, and were close to adding a second through Lingard, who was making his debut, but his shot from close range was saved ably by Hogg.

But the second goal was not far away, as Dele Alli was quick to pounce on the ball following another save by Hogg to slot the ball home for a 2-0 lead on 37 minutes.

But that was the end of the scoring for England, who disappointed their fans in the second half as they could not overcome the Maltese defence again.

Hogg dived to save off a Rooney freekick and then save again on a Dele Alli effort from short-range, but that was all that England could muster in the second period.

Malta's only shot at goal came in the 80th minute through an Agius first-timer which was blocked to a corner by Joe Hart.

England long periods of possession outside the penalty area did not open up the spaces they needed to penetrate, and the Maltese lads could leave the stadium with their heads held high.

It was the second time that Malta is facing England in London in a competitive match. In the first game, played in 1971, Malta had lost 5-0.

Some 2,000 Maltese supporters backed the boys in red.

It was the first match in which Gareth Southgate will lead England as manager, having replaced Sam Allardyce who spent only one game in charge of the English team before resigning in the wake of an undercover sting captured him negotiating lucrative speaking engagements in the Far East and advising supposed Far East investors in how to get around Football Association rules on third-party ownership.

Southgate was rapidly promoted from the under-21s last week when Allardyce was dismissed over comments in a newspaper sting that left the FA doubting his integrity for its top job.

Allardyce was in charge only 67 days, replacing Roy Hodgson after England's miserable European Championship loss to Iceland.

Allardyce won the first match on the road to the 2018 World Cup in Slovakia last month, but never got a chance to lead his team out at England's national stadium as a result of his unguarded comments to undercover reporters. A British newspaper's video showed Allardyce appearing to offer advice to fictitious businessmen on how to sidestep an outlawed player transfer practice, and also negotiating a 400,000 pound (about $500,000) public-speaking contract.

Southgate, whose only previous senior managerial role ended seven years ago with Middlesbrough, is viewed as encouragingly less colorful than the brash Allardyce for such a prestigious, high-profile job.

But he has only four games as interim manager, and the judgment of Southgate's credentials is to come. After traveling to Slovenia for the next qualifier on Tuesday, England hosts Scotland and Spain next month in north London.