Marcus Rashford to the rescue as England come from behind to beat Slovakia at Wembley

England 2 Slovakia 1: Gareth Southgate's side are now only two points away from automatically qualifying for next summer's World Cup in Russia after a win over Slovakia

Marcus Rashford scored the winning goal for England (Getty)

Trial, error, and triumph. Brilliant Marcus Rashford overcame an early blunder to score a match-winner that helped England overcome an initially concerning display for a 2-1 win over Slovakia, and almost make certain of place in next year’s World Cup.

While it wasn’t always pretty, and there were elements of the game that would raise real concerns over how England will fair against superior sides to this, they - and especially Rashford - did show precisely the type of resilience and refusal to panic that Gareth Southgate has been so conscious of instilling.

That is not to be dismissed, especially since this really felt like the side’s most challenging moment of the campaign bar Sam Allardyce’s departure. There was a long period when England had to contemplate the possibility that they would suddenly sink to second in the group, after such a long period on top, and with just two games left.

That was the deeper value to this win, and Rashford’s response, beyond securing top spot. This had the potential to be 'an Iceland', but was instead another ultimately professional qualifying win that this side have made a custom of.

Any notions England had that this procession of a qualifying campaign was going to continue were immediately disabused, as Slovakia quite simply dismantled Southgate’s defence.

With Marcus Rashford taking the bizarre decision to try and run the ball out from the edge of his own box in the second minute, he was easily dispossessed by Stanislav Lobotka. He fed Adam Nemec, who then delayed his return pass until Lobotka was through on goal and onside, the chip allowing the central midfielder to so easily finish past Joe Hart.

England were stunned.

Lobotka gave Slovakia an unlikely early lead (Getty)

That was much more than a mere fright, however, and Lobotka did so much more than just score.

The new young Celta Vigo midfielder was running the game for the majority of the first half, and displaying exactly the type of midfield play that England were specifically missing. Jordan Henderson and Dier didn’t really know where to go, but Lobotka always knew precisely what to do.

It is no exaggeration to say that Slovakia just looked so much more composed and cohesive than England at that point, and so much more comfortable in possession. There was one moment in the first half when Robert Mak chipped a ball from the by-line back towards Martin Skrtel at the edge of his own 18-yard-box, illustrating the kind of poise that would seemingly have panicked England.

Worryingly for Southgate, Slovakia dominated the early exchanges (Getty)

It was a warning for Southgate, and his side’s only real response was to try and up the tempo to the point where the ball was pinballing around it so that possession wasn’t quite as important. So it was that England scored their equaliser, although there was an intelligent design on the goal.

Dier made a run towards Rashford, who swerved his corner in such a way that it allowed the Spurs stopper to divert the ball into the roof of the net.

It was a fine finish, if not exactly one that fit England’s display up to then.

Dier flicked England back into contention (Getty) (Getty Images)

Southgate and his side do deserve some credit for that, mind, because this had previously been the kind of situation that would have gradually brought greater unease and outright anxiety in the players.

While it seemed like it might be headed that way in moments such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s wild long-range shot and Kyle Walker’s clumsy challenge on Vladimir Weiss, England did recollect themselves and start to show the kind of mental control and focus that the manager has been so determined to drum into them.

That was best displayed by the man who had been most at fault for Slovakia’s goal. That error could easily have got to Rashford but it had no discernible effect - bar possibly emboldening him for what was a much improved second-half display.

Walker was lucky not to see red for this challenge (Getty)

He signalled something had changed straight after the break through a swift one-two with Dele Alli, and then by taking two Slovakian defenders out of the game with one fine turn.

Warning had been served, but was not heeded.

Just moments after Nemec had forced a fine save from Hart, Rashford forced the issue. He picked the ball up 30 yards from Martin Dubravka’s goal and fired a supreme low shot that skipped up and made it impossible for the goalkeeper to stop.

It was a hugely creditable show of resolve from Rashford, that also showed the way for his team.

Rashford atoned for his earlier error with a fine goal (Getty)

That way is now all but guaranteed to take them Russia. Southgate’s side only need one point from their last two games. England and Rashford kept their nerve, and kept on track.