GROUP 5 Andorra 0 England 2: ANDORRA KNOW they cannot win a match of note and so have discovered other means of heaping ignominy on the opposition. They lumber visiting sides with humiliating victories and England were not good enough to be the exception.

Fabio Capello's team, having escaped Barcelona with three points, should be considering an appeal to Fifa. After facing Andorra twice at this ground in 18 months it would be contrary to natural justice if they were ever sent there again.

This fixture had an unsettling effect. Middlesbrough rightly prize Stewart Downing, but if the winger performed at the Riverside as he did here they would be hawking him in the marketplace. Unable to break open Andorra, he breached the tolerance of the visiting fans instead.

Those supporters, mindful of the ugly night Steve McClaren's team had against Andorra, were largely in a self-censoring mood. They could not stifle the boos, all the same, when Downing, in quick succession, sent a pass out of play and put a cross behind the goal.

The spectators kept reverting to tolerance purely because they were not surprised. As a good player who did not approach his normal standards Downing typifies a syndrome in England players that Capello is yet to remedy.

England had actually made an alert start before creeping back into percentage tactics. Pumping the ball in the general direction of the forwards is not necessarily a mistake but it is an abdication of responsibility.

The jeers of the fans at half-time were understandable. The team were back on the pitch well before the match was scheduled to resume as if Capello, having made a few pungent points, could not bear the sight of them any longer.

He had a different explanation: apparently the players were better off in the fresh air since it was rather warm in the dressingroom. It is unknown whether it was Capello's ire that raised the temperature.

His anger was flagrant in the dug-out despite a couple of goals. Those were scored by Joe Cole, a substitute for Downing.

There had been no delay by Capello in taking corrective measures. Emile Heskey, on for Jermain Defoe, became a focal point in attack and Cole, who could start against Croatia after three consecutive appearances for his country from the bench, was vibrant.

The manager's attention to detail paid off. Rio Ferdinand was unavailable because of a neck injury. With next to nothing required from the defence, Matthew Upson lost out to Joleon Lescott for the vacancy.

The Everton player scored 10 goals last season, so he has presence in the opposition's penalty area and, with 49 minutes gone, cushioned a Frank Lampard free-kick into the path of Cole. Presented with an opening that lesser players would have squandered, the midfielder finished confidently.

Six minutes later Wayne Rooney turned to squeeze an excellent pass through the middle and watched it slip through the legs of centre-half Ildefons Lima. Cole collected and slipped the ball into the corner of the net. Rooney will have been relieved to contribe after being so exasperated.

The Manchester United player was more at ease when Heskey came on. Capello must dwell on that as he plans for Wednesday's key match with Croatia in Zagreb.

"He needs space to run and work," he said. "I hope in the next game he will find the space."

The status of David Beckham is also the subject of curiosity. He was only involved for 10 minutes as a substitute in the centre of midfield. There is no desire to keep him there, but to play on the right against Croatia he will have to oust Theo Walcott.

It is a pleasure for the Italian to turn his mind to such topics. "Andorra played only to waste time," he said. "I didn't like this game. I like the challenge."

If that is so he ought to be ecstatic about the schemes of the Croatia coach Slaven Bilic has in store on Wednesday night.

• Guardian Service