Welbeck earns England win in Switzerland

• Danny Welbeck's second-half goals earn England a winning start to Group E
• Swiss captain Gökhan Inler gives the ball away to spark counterattack for opener
• Haris Seferovic gets two good chances, but is denied both times by Joe Hart
• Welbeck makes sure deep in added time after being set up by Rickie Lambert
• Next games: England v San Marino, Slovenia v Switzerland (9 October)

Danny Welbeck's second-half goals earned England a 2-0 win in Switzerland and an ideal start to UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group E.

Criticised for their sluggish friendly display in beating Norway on Wednesday, there could be no fault found in that regard in Basle as Roy Hodgson's men, against the team he used to coach, buzzed with energy from the off.

Their enthusiasm impressed more than their cut-and-thrust, though, until Welbeck knocked the ball beyond Steve von Bergen down the right and squared dangerously – Raheem Sterling only narrowly failed to provide what surely would have been a decisive touch.

The visitors would come closer just before the interval when Wayne Rooney saw his curling shot shovelled behind by Yann Sommer. From the resulting corner, the Switzerland goalkeeper made a much better stop, darting low to his left to parry Phil Jones's seemingly net-bound header.

At the opposite end, Joe Hart's outstretched right boot had been all that prevented Haris Seferovic opening the scoring in the first half, and the Manchester City FC goalkeeper had to turn over a stinging half-volley from the Eintracht Frankfurt forward after the break.

The momentum remained England's, however. Valon Behrami, otherwise flawless in midfield, almost put through his own goal after Sterling's miscued shot ricocheted off him before Gökhan Inler surrendered possession in midfield. Welbeck capped the counterattack with a close-range finish.

Switzerland could have claimed the draw their enterprise perhaps deserved, but after substitute Josip Drmic broke clear and rounded Hart, the lunging Gary Cahill came to England's rescue. And after a late spell of pressure from the hosts also proved fruitless, Welbeck produced a cool finish in added time after a pass from substitute Rickie Lambert.