England boss Roy Hodgson braced for selection battle

The Three Lions chief gave starts to Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge while the Southampton pair of Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana impressed as second-half substitutes.

Sturridge scored the late winner and Hodgson, who is expected to name a 30-man provisional squad on May 13, expects some major headaches when he narrows the party down to 23 in June.

"I have seen an incredible focus in this group," said Hodgson. "This World Cup means a hell of a lot to players and they are going to be doing everything in their power to impress me.

"If these players continue to play how they have been playing there will be lots to write about the players that are left out.

"We've got lots of options. Last night in the first half we wanted to see people like Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling on the pitch. But we've got a lot of opportunity, especially in the four or five weeks we will have before the first game of the World Cup, to look at all aspects of them and decide how best they can gel together.

"Let's not forget people like Adam Lallana and Danny Welbeck, who went on and did such a very good job."

Shaw's impressive 45-minute debut gave Hodgson food for thought at left-back, where Ashley Cole performed strongly in the first half and Leighton Baines is also pushing hard to be first-choice.

Hodgson admitted: "It's difficult to choose between them because they're different players."

All players are different.

"But Ashley got forward well and his defending was good and then Luke went on to take his place and just continued in the same way.

"Leighton Baines didn't even get a look in and I feel that now he'll be pushing me even harder to make my decision harder on which player I will use and which one will understudy him.

"There are a lot of matches left and a lot of football to be played. There's a lot of water to pass under the bridge between now and May 13."