The 0-0 draw in Dublin was a dull affair, but at least it was a clean sheet and another game unbeaten. So to Slovenia on Sunday, where England in effect had to win the game twice. A goal down at half-time, despite clearly being the better side, England were forced to dig deep. Wilshere crowned a fine season for his country with his first two England goals - the second was a stunner. But from 2-1 up, England were pegged back late on and it looked like they may drop their first points.
A diamond midfield formation was introduced with Raheem Sterling at the top, Jack Wilshere at the base in a new role for him, Jordan Henderson on the right and Fabian Delph making his debut on the left. England looked compact under pressure and dangerous on the counter-attack; Danny Welbeck took his two goals brilliantly, and England were up and running. October's double-header brought six more points. A routine 5-0 win over San Marino, and a tougher than expected match in Estonia. Sterling started on the bench after complaining of tiredness, and Rooney grabbed the only goal with a 73rd minute free-kick.
Enter Rooney - he'd missed several chances, but was there when it mattered to make it 3-2. His 48th goal get England, level now with Gary Lineker in second place in the all-time scorers list. It was his eighth of the season and the fifth consecutive qualifier in which he'd scored. One more win will see England qualify, and next up it's San Marino on September 5. Greater tests will lie ahead for England at Euro 2016, but this has been a season of genuine progress and England look like a side which can get better still.
Nick Collins reflects on a season where England put their miserable showing in Brazil behind them to close in on a place at the finals of next year's European Championships... It is no mean feat to go through an entire international season unbeaten, so England deserve a lot of credit for the way they have responded since the World Cup. The qualifying group may not be the hardest, but the away wins in Switzerland and Slovenia were top performances in difficult circumstances. The game in Basel in September set the tone for what was to follow. England were probably the outsiders for once, but the longer that match went on the more dangerous England looked.
In March at Wembley, England faced Lithuania for the first time and triumphed 4-0. No Wilshere this time - he was injured, but Sterling got his first England goal, and so too did Harry Kane - just seconds after coming off the bench for his debut. Italy were a far tougher proposition in Turin. Sub Andros Townsend scored the equaliser as England finished the stronger side. No qualifying points at stake but a decent display against a more than useful side.
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