Daniel Sturridge was the star as England leave for the World Cup having registered a comprehensive victory in the end
9.52pm BST
A brilliant individual strike by Daniel Sturridge, goals for both first-choice central defenders, promising cameos from Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley, and a pleasingly solid display by Joe Hart. Not such a brilliant evening for the defence collectively, mind you, and Wayne Rooney will probably be in a bit of a funk. A typically English mixed bag, then. But a 3-0 win's a 3-0 win, they're off to the World Cup, and in any case, you wouldn't have England any other way, would you?
9.51pm BST
90 min +2: There will be four added minutes. In fact, we've already had two. But this has been over ever since Cahill scored England's second. Probably best not to dwell too much on the state of the defence before that point, let's not poop the farewell party.
9.50pm BST
90 min: Wonderful skill from Wilshere, now, as he dinks the ball round a highly confused Ballon and nearly releases Milner into space down the right. Milner can't control and runs the ball out of play for a goal kick. England have got quite a few fine young players, haven't they? Just don't lumber this generation with a collective nickname. They're not golden, they're just very talented boys.
9.47pm BST
88 min: Sterling moves with purpose down the left, and wins a corner. The ball's fed to Barkley, who attempts a curler into the right. Blocked, but he gets the ball back. This time he hits a first-time cross onto the head of Smalling, free at the far post. He looks for a white shirt in the centre, but his header is directionless. Barkley's a rare player, though! What readjustment, what quick thinking.
9.45pm BST
86 min: Flores comes on for Carrillo.
9.45pm BST
85 min: Anyway, Barkley is on for Sturridge. He's soon involved in the action, rolling a delicious pass down the left for Sterling, who looks to first-time a flick into the top right, but gets far too much on the ball, and it sails out of play, well wide of the far post.
9.43pm BST
83 min: I really hope I didn't mishear that. I've been on some entertainingly strong opiates recently due to a back problem. I'm beginning to doubt myself already. A paper plane, though!
9.42pm BST
82 min: The roof comes off Wembley. A huge roar. Haven't seen it, but the chappie on the Independent Television channel informs us that this is because Riojas has been hit on the head by a paper aeroplane. Haw! If that's the case, that's a lovely moment, a bit of harmless fun. Let's hope there's some footage somewhere of a sharp paper tip crumping into the unsuspecting Peruvian's lug.
9.39pm BST
81 min: This is all over, and everyone's swanning around accordingly.
9.38pm BST
78 min: Advincula is replaced by another Peruvian debutant, Velarde. "Since The Guardian was probably still based in Manchester in 1966 and I was a three year-old in Liverpool, I could have opened the window and shouted my comments," writes Gary Naylor re Marie Mayer's worries of 53 mins. "And if you don't believe me, you haven't heard a Liverpudlian three year-old in full cry." The Guardian had already moved south to Farringdon by then, Gary, though I don't doubt that you'd have found a way somehow.
9.34pm BST
76 min: Wilshere rakes a long ball down the right for Milner, who can't beat the last man but retains possession, and then wins a corner for England with the next phase of play. Before the set piece, Baines is replaced by his Everton team-mate John Stones. Then the corner, which finds Smalling's head, but there's no power on the effort and Peru clear.
9.31pm BST
73 min: A couple of English changes: Lallana and Jagielka come off, Milner and Smalling come on.
9.30pm BST
72 min: Sterling - still only 19 - is a magnificent talent. He turns in the centre of the field through 180 degrees and buys himself an acre of space. He then picks a pass down the wing for Baines, who wins a corner and takes it himself. This comes to nothing, but England are in the mood now.
9.29pm BST
... clatters into Callens. He drops the ball at the feet of Jagielka, who sidefoots strongly into the unguarded net. Who needs in-form No10s when you've got central defenders banging them in every five minutes or so?
9.28pm BST
69 min: An instant impact by Sterling, who bustles with purpose down the inside right after a long ball and wins England a corner. Baines takes. Fernandez comes out to claim. And ...
9.27pm BST
68 min: This is a subfest now. Ramos is replaced by Riojas. "It's been said that England's best chance at the WC is to play like Liverpool; well it sounds like they've got the defensive end of that sorted," quips Ray in Houston.
9.26pm BST
66 min: A couple of changes. Deza is replaced by Ruidiaz. And for England, a shot across Wayne Rooney's bow: he's hooked in favour of Raheem Sterling. Rooney's been poor tonight, and though he's hardly alone in that respect, Hodgson makes it clear that reputation will only get his players so far.
9.24pm BST
... Baines whips the corner onto the head of Cahill, who bundles the ball into the top left! Not a pretty strike, like the majority inside Wembley care!
9.23pm BST
64 min: Baines wins a corner down the left. Before the corner can be taken, the captain Gerrard, who has looked off the pace, is replaced by Wilshere. And then ...
9.21pm BST
63 min: Johnson needlessly gives up possession down the Peru left. Carrillo makes for the area, then slides the ball forward for Deza, who is about to crack a shot goalward when Jagielka gets involved. England are a nonsense at the back.
9.20pm BST
61 min: A brilliant atmosphere in Wembley, despite England's slightly stuttering performance. The sight of Sterling and Barkley warming up might have stoked their passion.
9.19pm BST
60 min: Peru have been the better team since the restart. They're stroking it around with some confidence right now. Can the visitors put the hurt on England? They can put Hurtado on, that's for sure: the winger replaces the impressive Ramirez. The very promising Deza will be the focal point of their attack now.
9.16pm BST
57 min: Rooney gives the ball away in midfield, attempting to find Lallana. Peru flood upfield. Ramirez scampers down the left, and is upended by Rooney, who slides in. Crump. That should be a free kick, but it's only a throw for Peru. Danger over. England can't afford to be as clumsy as this when the real action starts, I can tell you that for the knockdown internet-only price of FREE.
9.14pm BST
56 min: Corner for England down the right. Baines takes. Fernandez comes off his line and haymakers the ball clear. England haven't showed much up front since the restart.
9.13pm BST
54 min: This Deza, on his debut at 20, looks the business. He's four steps out of the centre circle, and decides to take a whack at goal! It's not far off, either, with Hart slightly off his line, in no man's land. The effort dips and curls and only just clears the crossbar, landing on the top netting. Not 100 percent sure the keeper would have got to that if it had dipped in time.
9.12pm BST
53 min: Carrillo has a blooter from distance, coming in from the right, but it balloons up into the air and down into the hands of Hart. "That 1966 MBM is a fake, isn't it?" suggests Marie Meyer. "The clue: no comments from Gary Naylor. I reckon even back then he would have been teletyping them in." Either that, or he'd have had a well-drilled fleet of carrier pigeons that'd have put Coronation Street's Jack Duckworth to shame.
9.10pm BST
51 min: Lallana, Rooney and Johnson all take turns in attempting to bundle down the inside-right channel and clear into the area using brute force. It's nearly working, this tactic. The ball breaks to Gerrard, who has a lash from 30 yards. Nope.
9.08pm BST
49 min: A slow start by Peru, but England do their best to kick-start them into action. Jagielka faffs around on the ball down the inside-left, deep inside his own half, and is charged down by Ramirez. The striker nearly latches onto the loose ball as it bounds down the right wing, but the ever-alert Hart is out quickly to close down the danger. The keeper has been England's man of the match so far. Only Sturridge, for his moment of brilliance, could argue with that.
9.06pm BST
48 min: Lallana goes on a power run down the inside right, but is halted unceremoniously by Rodriguez. A slow start to the half by Peru.
9.05pm BST
46 min: Good combination play between Rooney, Johnson and Lallana down the right. Peru are nearly prised open, but Lallana can't get a cross away as he breaks into the area. Peru are pretty well organised in defence. Here, Ian Copestake's back. "It was exactly for those reasons (43 min) that I moved to Los Angeles, as I figured I was about as likely to get wet here as to be at the epicentre of an enormous earthquake." Ladies and gentlemen, he's here all week, try the In-N-Out Burger.
9.04pm BST
And we're off again! Peru get the ball rolling once more. No changes for either side, which is strange in a friendly like this. It can't be long. It surely can't be long. Expect the seats behind the benches to fill up again around the 73-minute mark.
8.53pm BST
Half-time entertainment: Tonight's virtual pie-and-pint replacement comes courtesy of Jeronimo Pimentel, who sends footage of Peru's 4-1 victory over England in 1959.
8.48pm BST
England just about deserve that lead, partly as they've had more of the possession, but mainly because Sturridge's goal was simply outstanding. But Peru had a couple of chances themselves. That England back line can be sliced in half easily enough. Could be an interesting second half if Peru decide to step it up a wee bit.
8.46pm BST
45 min: A rare bit of controlled possession for Peru. And suddenly, with England seemingly waiting for the half-time whistle, and Johnson sleeping in the deep, Ramirez is sprung clear down the right! He's one on one with Hart, and should really score, but the Manchester City keeper comes out to save brilliantly with his feet. Hart's been brilliant since Manuel Pellegrini gave him a mid-season rocket, hasn't he?
8.44pm BST
43 min: Welbeck tries to get himself going, embarking on a brave run down the inside-left. He's eventually bundled off the ball by Ballon, but carried it for a good 30 yards there, and for a second looked like breaking dangerously towards the Peruvian box. Much better from Welbeck, who has been very quiet. "A quick thinking assist - and nearly another - for Johnson," notes Phil Sawyer (14 min). "Looks like the Sawyer form observation barometer's in its usual working order going into the World Cup." Be thankful you're not Ian Copestake (32 mins). I wonder how often he gets caught out in the rain with neither hat nor brolly?
8.41pm BST
40 min: The busy, bustling Sturridge is brought down by Ramos, 30 yards from goal, as he juggles the ball in the 'Confident' style. Free kick. Baines whips this one in. Welbeck heads over, never getting the ball down. Another player in search of a wee bit of confidence.
8.39pm BST
38 min: Peru have visibly deflated since the goal. They were, if not exactly in command, in total control at the back, and comfortable enough containing England in midfield. Now none of their passes are sticking. Callens, in a panic, bundles Sturridge over down the England left. Gerrard hoicks the free kick over the crossbar for three rugby points.
8.36pm BST
35 min: Never mind England, that's given Johnson succour! He's suddenly back into Maraud Mode, cutting in from the right, slaloming down the flank and sliding the ball forward to Lallana, who shapes to shoot in the area but has to settle for a corner. The set piece, from the right, finds the head of Rooney, whose effort flies over the crossbar. Goals change games. They've certainly given Johnson a lift. Magnificent play.
8.34pm BST
England have been highly average up to this point, but what a goal this is! Johnson throws in from the right, having tenaciously kept the pressure on Yotun. Great work. The ball finds Sturridge, on the right-hand corner of the area. He takes a touch inside, and curls an up-and-down stunner into the top left. That was sailing in from the moment it left his boot, Fernandez had no chance whatsoever. Wembley erupts!
8.32pm BST
32 min: England are enjoying most of the ball, but they're doing next to nothing with it. Peru - a properly young and experimental side, remember - are looking very comfortable right now. "Poor Johnson got the Downings at some point, becoming adept at the sideways pass in preference to once marauding wing play," opines Ian Copestake. "Did Downing do all his marauding in his career at Villa Park? Anyway, is not great to get a reminder of him in an England team."
8.31pm BST
30 min: Gerrard, so recently the victim, is now in the book himself, coming straight through the back of Deza. No need for that, either. Friendly international here, people! The clue's staring you right in the face!
8.29pm BST
26 min: Gerrard is clattered by Cruzado, who scissors him to the floor, wrapping both legs round the England captain's right, standing leg. Ugh. He's quite understandably booked for that nonsense. No need for it.
8.28pm BST
25 min: Not a great deal going on right now. Both sets of fans entertain themselves with a rousing rendition of Seven Nation Army. Jack White must dream of a world in which crowds have to cough up royalties.
8.25pm BST
23 min: Rooney looks like he's fannying around down the left, going nowhere, but suddenly he springs into action and clips a diagonal pass forward for Sturridge, who is breaking into the area down the right channel. Rooney's pass is a wee bit too strong, but it was the right idea. Sturridge acknowledges the ball with a wave of his hand. "The Peru's substitute goalkeeper is called George Forsyth," notes Adam Preston. "Did one of the travelling Tartan Army find solace back in '78?" They may well have done, but if so we're looking at a 48-month pregnancy, he was born in 1982. Is there a doctor in the house who could clear this matter up, once and for all?
8.21pm BST
19 min: This match has suddenly sprung to life! First Deza takes a hack down the inside-right channel. His shot from 25 yards balloons off Cahill's ankle, and looks like looping over Hart and into the top left. But the keeper scampers back and claws it out of the air. England go straight up the other end, with the now-awake Lallana sashaying down the right, the ball eventually breaking in the area to Sturridge, who whips a low, hard shot across Fernandez and wide of the left-hand post. So close at both ends!
8.19pm BST
18 min: Henderson slips a fantastic pass down the right channel. Lallana should collect, just to the right of the D, but the Saints player is asleep.
8.18pm BST
16 min: Ramirez slides a dangerous ball down the inside right channel. Deza looks, just for a second, like getting to it before Hart, but the England keeper's off his line quickly and gathers. Just. The first real half-chance of the match. In fact, looking at that again, Deza was entitled to go for a 50-50 ball, but pulled out of the challenge, perhaps not wanting to needlessly crock someone in a pre-World Cup friendly. There's nice!
8.15pm BST
15 min: Peru have a free kick just inside the England half, and play it straight to Lallana, who quickly loses possession himself. This match hasn't quite taken off yet, it would be fair to say. Plenty of time, though, plenty of time.
8.14pm BST
14 min: Johnson attempts to round Carrillo on the right wing, but he's easily brushed off the ball. "Johnson's been doing that - or perhaps more accurately not been doing that - for Liverpool all season," reports Phil Sawyer. "Whether he's lost pace or it's a confidence thing I don't know, but he seems to have forgotten that the primary aim of an attacking fullback is to attack. It's not like he's in either team for his defensive capabilities. And I say this as a Liverpool supporter. He'll probably get a hat-trick now." Glen Johnson: the Jimmy Greaves de nos jours. We'll truly have seen it all if that's how this match pans out.
8.13pm BST
12 min: More England possession. A lot of it, and for some time to boot. All very patient. That is until Henderson decides to Gerrard a pass down the right wing. It flies miles over Lallana's head, and out for a goal kick. I suppose someone had to try something at some point.
8.11pm BST
9 min: Welbeck controls a raking Baines pass down the left, but he's bundled over by Ramos before he can do anything with it. Free kick, 30 yards out on that wing. Baines whips the ball into the area, and it's one of the worst free kicks he's ever hit. To be fair, Baines has set his personal bar pretty high, but that one brings his averages down. Peru clear with a yawn.
8.08pm BST
7 min: A bit of the ball for Peru now, with Deza jigging down the inside-left channel before pulling the ball back with a view to retaining possession. Eventually a pass is slid down the inside-left channel for Ramirez to chase. Hart comes out to claim, but Ramirez wasn't far from getting there first. Cahill might just have got there ahead of the Peru striker too, but it would have been a close call.
8.05pm BST
5 min: Sturridge drops a shoulder and cuts in from the right. He's closed down quickly, before he can shoot, so lays off to Rooney, who sprays a pass out left to Baines. No accuracy with that one, but England are on the front foot here.
8.04pm BST
3 min: Gerrard quarterbacks one down the right for Johnson, but the full back - who looked pretty shaky for Liverpool during the Premier League run-in - opts not to tear down the wing, and checks back instead. A fine player, Johnson, but he could certainly do with a confidence boost before the World Cup.
8.02pm BST
2 min: A fairly nondescript start. Hence this MBM taking a similar form.
8.02pm BST
And we're off! England get the ball rolling, and stroke it around the back a bit. There's a rare old atmosphere at Wembley, a real party atmosphere. Another 89 minutes of this*, please!
* Apart from that bloody brass band
7.57pm BST
The national anthems. England's is the usual needy nonsense. God's busy, lads, it's a Friday night, he's out on the lash like everyone else. If the Queen needs saving, you'll have to do it yourselves. As for the Peruvian number, well, it's your usual Latin American fare, a classic militaristic stomp. Not a million miles from the Josef Locke classic Goodbye, in fact.
7.55pm BST
The teams are out! England are, of course, kitted out in their white shirts, so no chance for Peru to give their famous red sash a run-out. They're bedecked in all red. Bah.
7.53pm BST
England: Hart, Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines, Gerrard, Henderson, Lallana, Rooney, Welbeck, Sturridge.
Subs: Foster, Wilshere, Lampard, Smalling, Milner, Lambert, Sterling, Barkley, Stones, Flanagan, Forster.
Peru: Fernandez, Rodriguez, Callens, Ramos, Advincula, Yotun, Cruzado, Ballon, Ramirez, Deza, Carrillo.
Subs: Forsyth, Gambetta, Hurtado, Ruidiaz, Velarde, Trauco, Flores, Riojas, Gallese.
7.49pm BST
Hodgson speaks! He's "not prepared to say" whether tonight's starting XI will be his selection against Italy. "There's a lot of football to be played, and a lot of training to be done before we name the team in Manaus." Should he have gone with the in-form Raheem Sterling instead of the less-in-form Danny Welbeck? "We trust and believe in Danny Welbeck, irrespective of his club season." Has the Rooney-and-Sturridge partnership any chance of working out? "If they both play their individual games, the combination will take care of itself." You can perhaps file that last one alongside yesterday's "Peru hasn't really featured in our thinking". It's nice to see Roy kicking back, hopefully the players will pick up on that relaxed vibe and knock it around tonight in the carefree style. It's on!
7.33pm BST
The Peruvian team is in, too. Here it is: Fernandez, Advincula, Ramos, Rodriguez, Callens, Yotun, Ballon, Cruzado, Carrillo, Ramirez, Deza. Anyway, the 1970 World Cup quarter between Peru and Brazil, and here's Justin Kavanagh: "Allegedly, when swapping shirts post-game, Pelé is believed to have said to the Peruvian man mountain Cubillas: 'Good match, you peach, you'." A lovely turn of phrase, that, right up there with Arnold Palmer referring to Jack Nicklaus before their 1962 US Open play-off as a "big strong happy dude". There's a beautiful innocence in the generosity of spirit. Kids, regarding these concepts, ask mum or dad.
7.13pm BST
England's starting XI is in, and it might be a guide to who'll be trotting out to face Italy in Manaus in a couple of week's time: Hart, Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines, Gerrard, Henderson, Lallana, Welbeck, Rooney, Sturridge. So much for experimental. The rest of the squad will have to wait until the friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras. Or perhaps the second half tonight. Let's see.
6.59pm BST
England's all-time record against Peru makes for some very strange, lop-sided reading. The countries have only played each other twice, both times at the Estadio Nacional in Lima. The first meeting was back in 1959, and Walter Winterbottom's side were spanked 4-1, the winger Juan Seminario helping himself to a hat-trick. Seminario then headed off on a European tour, spending the best part of the 1960s turning out for the likes of Sporting of Lisbon, Real Zaragoza, Fiorentina and Barcelona. Jimmy Greaves got England's only goal that day, and he'd help Winterbottom's team gain revenge three years later, scoring three himself in a 4-0 battering of Peru just before the 1962 World Cup in Chile. That was the last time the teams met, 52 years ago. It's about time. Another hat-trick hero today, please! Daniel Sturridge, Luis Ramirez, anyone, we're not fussy.
6.30pm BST
So thoughts turn to a World Cup finals in Brazil. Of course, if you're actually from Brazil, thoughts have been turning to a World Cup finals in Brazil since approximately 4.45pm on 16 July 1950, when 210,000 residents of Rio began looking tearfully forward to one day avenging the Maracanazo, but for the rest of us, we start considering it now. This is England's first warm-up game for the 2014 World Cup, as well as being their celebratory send-off, the final fixture at Wembley before the team naffs off for sunnier climes. It's nearly on!
Roy Hodgson promises to select a young, experimental side against Peru tonight, one that could include captain Steven Gerrard (34), Phil Jagielka (31) Glen Johnson (29), Leighton Baines (29), Wayne Rooney (28), Rickie Lambert (32) and the 35-year-old Frank La... ah, just a little light patter, suitable for all the family. Of course, Hodgson's preliminary World Cup squad also features the youthful talents of Raheem Sterling (19), Ross Barkley (20), Phil Jones (22), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (20), Jack Wilshere (22), Daniel Sturridge (24), Danny Welbeck (23), Jordan Henderson (23), Chris Smalling (24) and Luke Shaw (18). Roy's not looking to change the world, or looking for another girl, he just wants a new England. Depending on how many of these superkids step up to the plate in the three-match run-up to the opener against Italy in just over a fortnight - and only Wilshere and Shaw are doubtful tonight - he might just get one.
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