Croatia 1-4 England - Wow...

Well I have lambasted Fabio left, right and centre for not taking Michael Owen. I doubt he give two hoots what I think but if he did then he'd just reply 'six points'.

This morning England fans are waking up to the best result since that night in Munich seven years ago as England tore Croatia apart on their own patch for the first time in a competitive international. Croatia had been undefeated in their previous 35 games in Zagreb when something mattered on the result, taking them back on the way to when they gained their independence from Yugoslavia.

Most England fans were pretty downbeat about the team's chances and I must admit that I was one of them. When I saw Theo Walcott's name on the team-sheet however I perked up a bit as that was a positive move. It looked like we weren't just going to sit back and see if they could tear us apart.

The start was cagey but England looked decent enough before Croatia started to get into their stride. However in the 26th minute Fabio saw his gamble pay-off as Walcott drilled a shot low and hard past Stipe Pletikosa to give England a shock lead. Moments before Heskey had done down in the box under the challenge of Josip Simunic but Lubos Michel waved away his protests.

Half-Time and it was England who led but that had nothing on what would happen in the second half.

Robert Kovac saw red after an elbow on Joe Cole. The Chelsea midfielder went off after leaving the pitch in a pool of blood before Michel stunned the home crowd by brandishing the red card to the giant centre back. It was a harsh red card in all honesty as he clearly had eyes on the ball but contact was certainly made. Chris Waddle screamed that it was deliberate but he has been the most biased co-commentator ever after his display alongside the cool Jon Champion on the game last night.

With the extra man England started to ooze confidence and it was Walcott who grabbed the second. Yet again he was in the inside right channel and fired low and hard across and the past the Croatia keeper before seeing the ball nestle in the corner of the net. England were on their way and Rooney grabbed a third moments later.

Lampard thought he'd scored a fourth before it was disallowed and then the home side scored one on the break. However man of the moment Theo Walcott made sure that the night would be all about him as he steered home his third and England's fourth after being put through by Wayne Rooney.

It was a huge result for England and it puts them firmly in the driving seat to win Group 6. Fabio Capello will feel that most of the media owe him an apology and to be fair, most of the media have given him one. I'm not there just yet, Croatia were down to ten men early in the second half when the game was very much in the balance.

Still though credit where its due and England have shown they can win big games – now it is just a question of whether the media will build us up so high that when we fail it'll hurt that much more.