Chelsea's Gary Cahill won't have any easier World Cup qualifier than this one as the national side beat a poor but dour Malta side 2-0 at Wembley this evening.
England vice-captain Cahill, while undergoing a less than happy period on the pitch for the Blues continues to dominate for the Three Lions.
This Malta side offered nothing but a single shot on goal nine minutes from the end and that was in large part due to Cahill's command of his back four.
Goals from ex-Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge and a simple tap-in by Dele Allí was enough to give England all three points and a maximum six from their two opening group matches.
While on the management bench, the brains behind Gareth Southgate's side Steve Holland, Chelsea's assistant coach will also be happy with his first taste of senior international duty.
Eight minutes in with the home side in total domination of possession, Wayne Rodney's first-time zipper from just outside the Malta penalty area produced an acrobatic save from Andrew Hogg.
Sadly for the ex-Chelsea left-back, Ryan Bertrand was injured on 19 minutes and was replaced by Danny Rose.
The Three Lions really have scored on 22 minutes when a deep cross by Jordan Henderson was headed towards goal by Deli Allí. Again Hogg parried the ball wide bit Daniel Sturridge at the far post post blasted the ball wide of goal.
But on 29 minutes the Liverpool hitman broke the deadlock. A regulation cross into the six-yard box by Kyle Walker was met by the head of Sturridge who angled the ball wide of the desperate dive of Hogg.
Allí almost made it two on 33 minutes when an angled pass by Sturridge found Allí free, but his header was weak and Hogg tipped the ball around the post form a corner.
But the goal came, and it was Allí who had the easiest of task of tucking the ball home after his first shot was saved by Hogg but he followed it up and tapped it into an empty net with six minutes to go before half-time.
There were no changes of personnel by either side at half-ti me.
Hogg was in action again on 53 minutes, demonstrating his agility to tip a Rooney free-kick, angling to his top-left hand corner over the crossbar.
Steve Borg, the Malta centre-back was handed. Yellow car for hauling down Jesse Lingrad on 56 minutes.
Hogg was at his imperious best on 54 minutes , thwarting Theo Walcott, who was at the end of a fine, sweeping England attack. The Arsenal wide man's left footer was blocked by the irrepressible goalkeeper.
Marcus Rashford entered the fray on Walcott on 68 minutes. Jaime Vardy replaced Sturridge with 17 minutes on the clock.
Malta had their first shot on target on 81 minutes when Joe Hart was quick to push around Michael Misfud's right-footed volley.
Quite how Allí failed to notch up number three with six minutes on the clock remains a mystery as the Spurs midfield dynamo somehow managed to hack over the crossbar the simplest of chances.
Teams: England, Hart, Walker, Bertrand, Henderson, Cahill, Stones, Walcott, Allí, Sturridge, Rooney, Lingard
Subs, Smalling Forster, Rose, Dier, Keane, Oxlade-Chaberlain, Antonio, Vardy, Rashford, Townsend, Heaton
Malta: Hogg, Sciberras, Agius Borg, French, Schembri, Camilleri, Kristensen, Effiong, Zach Muscat, Alex Muscat
Subs: Zerafa, Failla, Mifsud, Muscat, Pisani, Bonello, Farrugia, Sherri, Scicluna
Referee Stefan Johannesson (Sweden)