SOMETIMES, when it comes to England in a World Cup finals, the best things happen by accident.

In 1966, final hero Geoff Hurst was only promoted to the starting line-up for the quarter-final against Argentina because Jimmy Greaves suffered injury.

In 1990, Bobby Robson discovered the 3-5-2 formation that would carry England all the way to the semi-finals after a conflab with a group of senior players.

And now, after England finally burst into life in the tournament in South Africa in their last group game against Slovenia, perhaps Fabio Capello has fashioned a side and system capable of living up to the nation’s billing of leading lights.

After a pair of desultory displays against the USA and Algeria, this was finally England as we want them to be, brimming with energy and vigour, revelling in the kind of high-tempo, pressing game that characterised their success in the qualifying campaign.

And two men, both of whom were involved in the decisive goal of the 1-0 win, were integral to it.

James Milner’s World Cup looked over when he was hauled off after 30 minutes of the USA game, but a leg injury to Aaron Lennon and the parlous form of Shaun Wright-Phillips saw Capello restore him to the right of midfield. And suddenly England found themselves with a winger capable of crossing the ball.

They still needed someone to put it in the net, and had Emile Heskey started, as he had been in the opening two matches, it is doubtful whether Milner’s fantastic 23rd-minute cross would have come to anything. As it was, Capello decided Jermain Defoe was a better partner for Wayne Rooney.

The result? Defoe steals ahead of his marker, Marko Suler, and dispatches a close-range volley past Slovenia ’keeper Samir Handanovic.

It was a goal of staggering simplicity, yet the players who had delivered it would not even have been starting had the fall-out from last Friday’s goalless draw with Algeria not been so extreme.

Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, previously so off-colour, also improved and, for large periods, England attacked with speed and purpose.

The only thing missing was a second goal, Defoe seeing a close-range effort ruled out for offside and being among several players to see shots saved or go wide. Rooney also had a superb chance tipped onto a post.

Rooney’s departure with an ankle problem was one downside, but the injury has been played down by Capello – while the brave defending at the other end by John Terry and Matthew Upson was a upside.

Slovenia rarely carried an attacking threat, but a one-goal advantage was never going to prevent some second-half scares.

Terry and Glen Johnson had to make excellent last-ditch blocks to deny Milivoje Novakovic and Zlatko Dedic respectively.

But the most crucial tackle came from Matthew Upson – Terry’s third centre-back partner of the tournament and, given Jamie Carragher’s ban, another change from Friday’s team forced on Capello.

Upson threw himself in to deny Tim Matavz a golden chance in the last minute, and to save his side.

It also saved Capello from the ignominy of becoming the first England boss to fall at the group stage since Walter Winterbottom in 1958. Instead, combined with USA’s late winner over Algeria, which sent them top of group ‘C’, it set up a second-round match against Germany in Bloemfontein on Sunday.