ACE MICHAEL GETS ENGLAND G-OWEN; Hat-trick has Germany on the retreat.

Byline: GRAHAM HILL 

GERMANY 1 ENGLAND 5

IT was a night when even the seemingly impossible came true. When the pride was restored to English football with a vengeance.

Remember the date - September 1, 2001. For that was when a reborn England side produced one of the country's most compelling displays in living memory in vanquishing Germany 5-1 in Munich.

When automatic World Cup qualification became a realistic goal, with England's superior goal difference meaning that victories in their remaining two games will now take them through to the finals.

But more than the scale of the win, however stunning that was, with Michael Owen hitting a hat-trick that will linger long in the memory and Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey also scoring, it was the manner of it that counted.

For this was when the revolution being effected by Sven-Goran Eriksson dramatically scaled new heights.

Of course, one victory does not make a World Cup-winning side and England need sustained progress, but this was when a young side grew up, showed their immense promise and stirred an entire country.

This was a display of maturity, assurance and promise, coming back from even conceding the first goal to eclipse probably even the 4-1 win against Holland at Euro '96.

While this side performed superbly as a whole, it was still three individuals who, along with Paul Scholes, underpin everything that Eriksson is attempting to achieve, that guided them home.

With his hat-trick, Owen confirmed his ability to score on the biggest occasions as well as his status as one of the world's leading strikers, taking his England tally to 13 from 31 games.

In recovering from injury to lead his side with such passion, David Beckham showed both courage and character, while Gerrard is indisputably England's chief inspiration and talisman.

When Gerrard plays, England win. But no one could ever have imagined a victory like this one against a country who had previously lost just one World Cup qualifier in 60 matches.

Especially not after six minutes, when England fell behind as they failed to heed Eriksson's pre-match warning to cut down the space allowed to playmaker Sebastian Deisler.

The 21-year-old midfielder was allowed to advance unchecked before chipping the ball to team-mate Oliver Neuville, who flicked it into the path of Jancker.

The centre-forward has not so much been criticised as derided in England for his lack of athleticism but he can at least finish inside the six-yard box and he comfortably beat the exposed figure of David Seaman.

To their immense credit, England did not panic but merely rolled up their sleeves and played their way back into the match.

Their equaliser, six minutes later, came as a result of a Beckham free-kick, but not as the England captain would have intended.

His dead-ball effort was overhit but Gerrard chased it to the byline and clipped the ball back over his shoulder for Gary Neville to head goalwards, with Nicky Barmby flicking it on to Owen.

The Liverpool striker patiently waited for the ball to bounce before exhibiting supreme control in keeping his unerring finish low.

Game on. Beckham's next free-kick flashed past the upright but England still needed a massive stroke of good fortune when Neville's cross presented Deisler with the goal at his mercy only to mis-hit his shot wide.

England nevertheless continued to exploit Owen's pace with balls over the top, while Beckham struck the wall on the goal-line with a free-kick from 10 yards out after Kahn had picked up a back-pass.

With Gerrard now making his presence felt after an uncertain start, Dietmar Hamann was left sprawling with several thundering challenges, while Ashley Cole matched his example with some powerful surging runs.

Germany briefly came back into the game, with a snap-shot by Neville flying wide and then Seaman producing a superb save to tip Jorg Bohme's low drive round the post.

What England needed was a moment of inspiration and that was exactly what they got, a full four minutes into injury-time.

When Beckham's cross was laid back by Rio Ferdinand into Gerrard's path, the midfielder was still 25 yards out, but he let fly with a memorable drive that was a goal from the moment it left his foot.

There was hardly time for Germany even to kick off again and they were further behind almost as quickly after the restart as Owen struck again.

Beckham was again manning the supply lines, with Heskey nodding the ball onwards for Owen to finish superbly, with Oliver Kahn getting his hand to the ball but not preventing it from nestling inside the post.

Germany were stung into action, with England perhaps guilty of sitting back too deep, but Germany misfired in front of goal with Michael Ballack blasting a close-range shot wide and Jancker heading off-target.

Heskey dropped deeper to bolster the midfield, while Steve McManaman replaced the hard-working Barmby, and before too long, England's counter-attacking prowess had put the game beyond reach.

Owen completed his hat-trick with a combination of panache and power as he latched onto Gerrard's through-ball, while Heskey completed the rout with an accomplished finish to make it 5-1.

England were home and dry, with Owen Hargreaves confirming his English registration as a substitute

Germany were shocked, their fans trooping off into the night in disbelief, their team now staring at the prospect of the play-offs if England can overcome Albania and Greece.

Inside the stadium and back at home, England fans celebrated in unrestrained joy, turning their arms black and blue with pinches of disbelief.

Who doubts the wisdom of hiring a Swede as England coach now?

HOW THEY RATED...

CAPT... scholes

CAPTION(S):

HAT-TRICK HERO... Michael Owen bears down on the German goal during England's rout in Munich RUNNING BATTLE... England's inspirational Steven Gerrard beats Sebastian Deisler to the ball