England are going to the World Cup in Russia next year, as they somehow managed to overcome a dour Slovenia 1-0 with a last-gasp gol by Harry Ken at Wembley tonight..
Then England skipper got to a byline cross from Kyle Walker and slide the ball goal- bound. It went underneath the body of goalkeeper Jan Oblak, and drifted over the goal line.
But this was a tortuous game which will be best remembered not for the football, but for the paper aeroplanes thrown from the crowd.
Whenever one hit the pitch, and several did, the 61,000 crowd gave a large cheer. A pitch invader late on was equally cheered.
Boos greeted the announcement that there were an added six minutes at the end of the game - such was the cross desire to get home and away from the torture of the game.
It took until the 25th minute for England to register a shot on target, Jordan Henderson’s right-footed curler, from just inside the penalty area was tipped around the post by the Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Marcus Rashford should have tucked the ball home on 62 minutes when Raheen Sterling set the Manchester United youngster clear. But instead of slotting the ball home, he tried an audacious clipped chip which was slow and easily cleared..
Gareth Southgate introduced Jesse Lingard to instil some urgency in an England team sleep-walking through this vital World Cup qualifier. He replaced ineffectual Alex Oxlde-Chamberlain.
A paper aeroplane launched from the crowd reached the pitch, and that drew the largest cheer of the night as the fans vented their frustration in a playful manner.
Sterling saw a left footer cleared off the line three minutes after Rashford’s juvenile decision. This was quickly followed up by a screwed shot by Harry Kane that inched wide of the Slovenia goal.
Joe Hart denied Slovenia Substitute Tim Matavc.
Southgate then replaced winger Sterling for centre-back Michael Keane for the final six minutes of the match.
Kane then scored to change the mood of the crowd. - those that remained to the end that is.
England: Hart, Walker, Bertrand, Doer, Chill, Stones, Sterling, Henderson, Kne, Rashford, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Subs; Butland, Pickford, Smalling, Tripper, Maguire, Keane, Creswell, Defoe, Livermore, Dturridge, Winks, Lingard.
Slovenia: Oblak, Cesar, Krhin, Llcic, Sporar, Jokic, Bezjak, Mveija, Rotman, Verbic, Struna,
Subs, Betec, Koprivec, Skubic, Viler, Sirok, Kurtis, Matavz, Delamea-Milner, Repas, Bihar, Vetrih