England 4-0 Bulgaria: Daily Mirror match report

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He came to Fabio ­Capello’s rescue in Port Elizabeth, although ­salvation only lasted for four days until the debacle of Bloemfontein.

And last night Jermain Defoe grabbed his first international hat-trick to take some of the ­pressure off the Italian and his side.

Defoe’s triple blast and a late strike by Adam Johnson saw England begin their Euro 2012 campaign with a bang that was just what was required.

On an evening when victory was always going to be more ­important than performance, there were enough bright signs to suggest this England reign is not teetering on the brink just yet.

Defoe’s instinctive finishes, all with his weaker left foot, meant the extension of Wayne Rooney’s England goal drought to 11 games did not matter.

Not bad for a man who Spurs thought should miss the game for a groin operation. But he did suffer when going down injured after netted his third and then going off.

With Joe Hart ­demonstrating Capello should have trusted in his own judgement in South Africa, the only other sour note saw Michael Dawson’s full debut came to a horror premature end with a knee injury that could spell the end of his entire season. For Defoe, Capello and England, however, this was a much-needed respite. Basel on Tuesday will represent a sterner task.

Of course, it always helps settle the nerves if you can score from your first attack and if Capello, his players or the Wembley crowd were on edge, the mood was altered inside three minutes.

A poor clearance from full-back Stanislav Manilev only went as far as Ashley Cole and from ­- that instant Bulgaria were in trouble.

Cole played short to Rooney, whose dinked return was ­immaculate and, while the Chelsea man’s shot was ­smothered, he reacted quickest to turn back inside, allowing Defoe to volley home left-footed from five yards. It was Defoe’s 13th England strike, his 10th in just 18 ­appearances under the Italian, and England, hunting the ball down and causing real damage out wide, looked in command.

Capello’s one surprise selection saw Dawson making his first England start alongside Phil Jagielka.

And the makeshift pairing did not seem overly troubled initially, although Hart might have been embarrassed by Glen ­Johnson’s inadvertent back-pass that nearly turned into a ­cataclysmic own goal on 20 minutes.

Thankfully, the new No.1 dropped on the ball and that aside, it was comfortable. Rooney more lively than against Hungary last month, Theo Walcott ­penetrating down the right, while skipper Steven Gerrard seemed happy in his central role.

Slowly, however, the visitors came into affairs, Jagielka making two important clearances and bringing an animated Capello from his dug-out to bellow instructions.

That seemed to work – signs that the players are still prepared to listen to the Italian, perhaps – and although England lacked ­precision in the final ball they were at least retaining possession slightly better.

James Milner, linking well with Cole, tried his luck from distance, before Walcott threatened to dance all the way through with a mazy dribble and then Rooney and Cole so nearly combined to break down the Bulgarians once again.

Milner, operating the ‘graveyard shift’ on the left, was becoming increasingly influential as England sought the second.

He sliced wide from Defoe’s clever pass in the 40th minute, before the Spurs striker was two inches away from converting Walcott’s driven cross from the other flank.

Before the prawn sandwich brigade had retaken their seats for the second half, former Manchester City striker Valeri Bojinov flashed across the face of Hart’s goal, although Rooney was close to the second with a delicate chip after Defoe’s deft header.

But Bulgaria should have been level when Bojinov cleverly nudged Dawson off the ball and fed Ivelin Popov, who prodded wide. Almost immediately Dawson went down in agony after being unbalanced by a shove from Popov.

The look on his face suggested knee-ligament damage that will cause massive worries for Harry Redknapp and Spurs.

Redknapp has enough injury problems in central defence.

On came Gary Cahill for his debut before the game turned definitively in England’s favour in the space of 14 seconds. Bolton’s Martin Petrov escaped down the left but Stanislav Angelos smashed straight at Hart and before Bulgaria touched the ball again, England had breathing space.

Hart’s parry fell to Gareth Barry, who found Gerrard galloping forward. Rooney was next in possession, spotting Defoe peeling off to his left and allowing the Tottenham man to slide home.

Not quite all over and Hart had to stand up big and tall – in the manner of Peter Schmeichel – to deny substitute Dimitar Rangelow.

Defoe ensured happiness all round, first helping tee up Johnson before helping himself.

England had done enough. For now.

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