WCQ: England 1-0 Slovenia
Harry Kane continued his fine form with a 94th-minute strike
England have qualified for the 2018 World Cup finals after Harry Kane's injury-time goal sealed a 1-0 win against Slovenia at Wembley.
Gareth Southgate’s men went into the game knowing a win would secure their place in Russia next summer, but looked like they would qualify courtesy of Scotland’s 1-0 win against Slovakia at Hampden Park as the game looked set to end in a drab goalless draw.
But captain Kane stepped up to the plate in the third minute of stoppage time to fire in a close-range winner for the Three Lions.
The goal aside it was a disappointing display from England as they struggled to create many goalscoring chances, while Joe Hart was called on to make several vital saves.
England started brightly and dominated the early possession but it was Slovenia who created the first opening on 10 minutes when Josip Illicic got in down the right of the area only to be denied by Hart.
However replays showed Hart didn’t touch the ball but brought down the Slovenian and was fortunate not to concede a penalty.
Kane hit an effort from 25 yards on 14 minutes which Jan Oblak got down to comfortably save, while the Atletico Madrid shot-stopper had to be alert to gather Marcus Rashford’s inswinging cross-shot from wide out on the left five minutes later.
Slovenia went straight up the other end and should have taken the lead when Illicic picked out Roan Bezjack in the middle of the area but he failed to get a clean connection on his volley from six yards out with just Hart to beat.
On 26 minutes Jordan Henderson looked to curl his effort into the far corner from the left of the area, but Oblak got enough on the ball to divert it wide of the goal.
Rashford almost caught out Oblak with a free-kick right on half-time but the keeper got across quickly to parry the effort wide of his near post.
It took until the 63rd minute for England to create their next opening when Rashford got played in down the left side of the area and, while his chip beat Oblak, Bostjan Cesar was on hand to prevent it finding the net.
Two minutes later, Raheem Sterling looked certain to score when Cesar could only clear a low Rashford cross from the left into his path in the middle of the area, but the Slovenia captain managed to get his body in the way of the Manchester City man’s effort to divert the ball wide of the bottom corner.
England had their tails up and went close again moments later with Kane this time scuffing a left-foot effort just wide of the far corner.
Hart kept England on level terms in the 84th minute when he denied Tim Matavz who had raced clear into the area, before getting to his feet and then blocked a follow-up effort, although the whistle had gone for a foul against him by then.
However, England snatched the winner in the middle of six minutes of injury time when Kyle Walker pounced on a poor clearance from Oblak and put in a superb cross from the right which Kane diverted past the Slovenian custodian from close range.