England labour to win over Wales

England boss Fabio Capello's expression said it all at full-time.

Shaking hands with defeated Wales counterpart Gary Speed, Capello was almost embarrassed to accept a win which was borne out of one moment of class and one astonishing miss.

With a sheepish grin and a shrug of the shoulders, the Italian showed his grasp of luck is better than his use of the English language.

Had Robert Earnshaw not ballooned over with the goal gaping, Wales would have claimed a deserved point and Capello would have been forced to expand his vocabulary.

Pedestrian England barely deserved their Wembley win – courtesy of Ashley Young's goal – and would have been denied but for the former Albion striker's nightmare moment.

It leaves the Three Lions needing a point in Montenegro next month to qualify for Euro 2012, but the accomplishment is tinged with disappointment after a dour display.

Rarely has Wembley been such a noose around the neck of the national team. Last night was their first win in five games at their home ground but they laboured to a victory which should have been standard.

Wales, 117th in the world, stifled their lofty hosts – somehow ranked fourth by FIFA – before launching a late assault to try to claim a point.

Only Young and Stewart Downing offered serious threat with even Wayne Rooney, scorer of seven goals already this season, nullified.

The zip and style of Friday's 3-0 cruise in Bulgaria had evaporated, although the nature of the national team is either one extreme or the other, so there should have been no surprises.

Despite just two changes with Frank Lampard and James Milner replacing Scott Parker and Theo Walcott, England's stroll in Sofia was forgotten.

Lampard's time in the international wilderness after being dropped against Bulgaria lasted just one game, as he instantly replaced the unfortunate Parker.

The Chelsea midfielder is not yet a spent force but there are now better options.

A fit Jack Wilshere would have surely taken his spot and new Tottenham man Parker – the reigning Football Writers' Player of the Year – offers more dynamism.

Lampard was also joined by the reinstated Milner to take the count of former Villa players on the field for England to five.

Young, Downing, Milner Gary Cahill and Gareth Barry provided the claret and blues with a glimpse of what was – and what could have been.

And it was the recently departed Young and Downing who were England's main early threats, but the hosts struggled to penetrate their robust visitors.

Wales, toothless in the 2-0 defeat to England in Cardiff in March, were well drilled but lacked any early threat without the suspended Craig Bellamy.

Gareth Bale, missing the last time the teams met, was Wales' most potent outlet but received special attention which limited his influence until the second-half.

Ashley Williams and Steve Morison were off target, as the visitors held their own before Downing and Young combined in the 35th minute, the latter slamming home past helpless Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

It was the one true moment of quality in a one-paced first half during which England laboured to their lead. That was, in part, down to Wales' determination, but England rarely found third gear.

They went up a notch 10 minutes before the break and 10 minutes afterwards, but rarely looked like getting out of the passenger seat.

With an advantage, though, England briefly relaxed and Barry and Young both went closed to doubling the lead just after the interval.

Yet it was still a contest while England continued to ponder around the Wales area, failing to take advantage of the positions crafted by Downing and Young.

The visitors hinted they were still there when the covering Barry thwarted Aaron Ramsey and Chris Smalling glanced Bale's cross behind.

With 16 minutes left came the moment Earnshaw will forever remember. Darcy Blake helped Ramsey's free-kick across the area but the ex-Baggie blazed over from five yards.

The astonishing miss was then replayed on the big screens to much ridicule from the home fans and pity from the away support.

'Fourth in the world, you're having a laugh' chanted the Wales fans.

England and Capello smiled through gritted teeth – but no-one was laughing.

By Nick Mashiter