ENGLAND 1, SLOVENIA 0
It ought to have been a night of joyous celebrations as England qualified for the finals of the World Cup, but it was anything but that as they struggled to beat Slovenia at Wembley.
Captain Fantastic Harry Kane came up with the winner four minutes into six of added time to seal victory, though England were already through due to Scotland’s win against Slovakia.
Though England remained unbeaten in qualifying, displays have been patchy and this laboured display will hardly have the world’s top teams quaking in their boots.
It was as poor a performance as for some time as England lacked ideas and know how in breaking through a well organised Slovenia defence.
But at the death, Kane came to the rescue with his 11th international goal as the frustrated fans who hadn’t already left for home were belatedly given something to cheer on a night when making paper aeroplanes had provided the loudest cheers of the night.
Manager Gareth Southgate gave an honest appraisal of the performance and where the team is currently at.
He said: “It was not relief as I always felt we would achieve our objective, but tonight highlights where we are.
“I would love us to play more fluidly and score more goals, but we have to find a way to win and to be savy when we aren’t flowing, but we have goalscorers in our side.”
Southgate continued: “Was the performance and the night what we wanted – no. When I was given the job one year ago, the objective was to get to Russia.
“It is about how we evolve and give young players the opportunity to mature and learn how to win. It is work in progress.”
Southgate added the players have to be resilient when the crowd become frustrated because it is their job to win games.
He said: “For the country it was absolutely crucial to get to the World Cup and perhaps also critical for the economy.
“I am not hiding and it was not the performance we wanted and we are not where we want to be, but since I took over we have won six games and drawn two and have one of the best defensive records in Europe.
“We have to give the players the belief and backing to succeed, but we are not going to become a Spain in the next eight months, but it was imperative for our young players that they go to the World Cup to improve.”
It was a lively opening, though lacking quality in the final third from both sides.
New captain Kane led from the front and he had the first goal attempt in the 14th minute as his drive forced a diving save from keeper Jan Oblak, the Atletico Madrid stopper.
Oblak was forced to make another decent stop low to his left to turn away a shot from Jordan Henderson.
It was very low key, though the England fans did their best to lift their team at Wembley that was barely two thirds full.
Kyle Walker fired a free kick well over, Gary Cahill glanced a header wide and when Kane headed home shortly before half time, Raheem Sterling was pulled up for a blocking foul.
The lively Rashford, one of the few bright lights, forced a decent save from Oblak in stoppage time at the end of a desperately poor opening period.
It was a measure of how bad it was that bored fans were making paper aeroplanes that were flying from the top tier at Wembley. And there were enormous cheers when the occasional one reached the goal.
There was a rare moment of excitement when Sterling broke before sending Rashford clear. His weak chip cleared Oblak, but was easily cleared.
It was crying out for fresh ideas and midway through the half Jesse Lingard came of for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
England went close when Rashford whipped in a dangerous low cross from the left and it was cleared only as far as Sterling whose goalbound shot was blocked by Bostjan Cesar.
Rashford and Sterling linked and as the ball ran free Kane fired narrowly wide as England looked to make a breakthrough.
England survived a late scare when substitute Tim Matavz was out clean through and Joe Hart saved the day by saving bravely at his feet and also from the follow up shot by Benjamin Verbic.
There was a bizarre substitution five minutes from time, bearing in mind England needed a winner as Sterling was replaced by centre-back Michael Keane.
And the boredom was lightened by a pitch invader as the male showed some turns neater than the 22 players on the field.
The breakthrough finally came four minutes into added time when Walker intercepted a throw from keeper Oblak.
Heraced away down the right and whipped in a low cross that Kane, six yards out, poked past Oblak who got to the ball but couldn’t prevent it trickling over the line.
It was a scrappy goal and very much in keeping with what had gone before.