England showed just enough quality to stutter over the line in Saturday’s international friendly against a plucky Slovenia at Wembley Stadium, thanks to a hotly-disputed penalty and a deflected strike from in-form striker, Jermaine Defoe.

Manager Fabio Capello started the match with the eleven widely expected to line out against Croatia in the pivotal World Cup qualifying group six game.

Yet England only led at the break through Frank Lampard’s spot-kick, although they created a number of chances during the second quarter.

After the break, things got stickier still and Capello was visibly less than satisfied when Slovenia’s Zlatan Ljubijankic pulled a goal back on 84 minutes.

England keeper Robert Green was lucky not to concede a 10^th-minute free-kick for handling a yard outside his area. And he was fully stretched to deny Slovenia’s Milijove Novakovic a decent angle to get the ball on-target moments later.

On 21 minutes, the lively Wayne Rooney cut inside two defenders and saw his goalbound drive athletically diverted for a corner by Miso Brecko.

Ten minutes later, Bostjan Cesar was adjudged to have hauled Rooney down in the box, although the defender looked more sinned against than sinner.

Cesar was injured in, and booked for, the incident, while Lampard struck an excellent penalty low to keeper Samir Handanovic’s right.

Rooney hit the post from very close range on 34 minutes, as England finished the half on top.

Two of Capello’s half-time changes set up England’s second goal after 63 minutes, Aaron Lennon finding Spurs colleague Jermaine Defoe, whose twenty-yard drive took a small but significant deflection off Aleksander Radosavljevic.

Rooney had another effort cleared off the line on 72 minutes but England looked susceptible to crosses late on.

And with six minutes left, Ljubijankic nipped in front of substitute Joleon Lescott to head home a deserved consolation goal for the visitors.