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World Cup 2018: England Sets Record As Harry Kane Nets Hat Trick In Routing Panama 6-1 (pic)

England secured their biggest ever World Cup victory on Sunday afternoon, beating Panama 6-1 in Nizhny Novgorod to book their place in the last 16.

Harry Kane became the third player after Geoff Hurst and Gary Lineker to score a finals hat-trick for the Three Lions, while John Stones added a brace of his own. Jesse Lingard also scored with a fine long-range effort that was England’s first proper open play goal of the tournament.

Kane became just the third England player to score a World Cup hat-trick
England have never before scored more than four goals in a World Cup match, and even Felipe Baloy’s late consolation strike will not take away from the history made by Gareth Southgate’s side.

Panama started brightly, Anibal Godoy wasting a fine chance to put his nation ahead when he wildly shot over after being played through on goal. Yoel Barcenas also went close a few moments later, but his curling effort flashed just wide of Jordan Pickford’s far post, with the keeper at full stretch.

Despite these chances in the final third, Panama were amateurish at the back, with Stones opening the scoring with a free header from a corner.

Kane then grabbed his first of the game, from the penalty spot, after Fidel Escobar and Gabriel Torres pulled Lingard down inside the area, before Lingard himself netted from outside the box with a stunning finish from outside the box after a lovely give-and-go with Raheem Sterling.

Stones added England’s fourth four minutes later, after a brilliantly worked free-kick routine. Kieran Trippier laid the set-piece off to Jordan Henderson, who curled a first-time ball to the far post. Kane headed the ball back across the face of goal, only to see Sterling head straight at goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, but the rebound fell straight to Stones, who headed past Penedo into the roof of the net.

Stones scored his first two goals for England against Panama
Just minutes later, the lead was extended again, with Kane scoring a perfect replica of his opening penalty, after being bundled to the ground, to make it 5-0 at the break.

Understandably, England turned down the pace after the restart, but it took less than ten minutes into the second half for Kane to complete his hat-trick – in the most fortuitous of circumstances. Ruben Loftus-Cheek worked his way into space on the edge of the Panama area, and his weak shot hit the back of Kane’s foot and looped over Penedo and into the back of the Panama net.

Michael Murillo did threaten to pull one back for Panama, but Pickford did well to deny the wide player after a well-worked move saw him through on goal.

Torres should have scored after a cut-back fell to him at the far post, yet he poked the ball slightly wide, before Felipe Baloy made up for Torres’ error by netting Panama’s first ever World Cup goal when he broke England’s offside trap from a free-kick and slotted the ball into the corner of Pickford’s goal.

Baloy made history by scoring this debut goal for Panama, but England were the real history makers in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday. On to Belgium on Thursday, where the Three Lions will look to secure top spot in Group G

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