There was precious little evidence of the ’stand and deliver’ rallying cry coach Steve McClaren used to send his team into battle and, with seven games of the campaign still remaining, England can barely afford another slip if they are not to miss their first major tournament since the 1994 World Cup.

Israel had few opportunities going forward although they did create the first with Toto Tamuz glancing his header wide when well placed.

The closest England came in the goalless opening period was when Steven Gerrard spotted Frank Lampard’s forward burst and slid a pass through to the Chelsea man which, for a second looked as though it would lead to a breakthrough.

Unfortunately, the ball got stuck under Lampard’s feet and, with Yuval Shpungin applying pressure, the Chelsea man could only nudge it straight to the onrushing Dudu Aouate.

Having left his perch in the stand for a dug-out berth two minutes before the break, McClaren used the interval to inject a bit more life into his forwards.

Bolton’s Tal Ben Haim managed to reach Phil Neville’s low cross before Andy Johnson could pounce, then Rooney burst through, only to spoil his own industry by ignoring better-placed team-mates to blast a shot straight at an Israeli defender.

Rooney has enjoyed plenty of personal success against Ben Haim this season, scoring five times against Bolton.

But the pair came out even after engaging in a bit of afters when Aouate just beat the duo to the rebound after he had spilled Lampard’s well-struck volley. Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo booked them both.

England were now dominating and after Lampard glanced Lennon’s cross fractionally wide, Johnson did the same when Gerrard picked him out from the other flank.

When Carragher met Lampard’s corner with a firm header that bounced off the top of the bar, McClaren must have sensed it was not going to be his night.

And Aouate’s close-range block of substitute Jermaine Defoe’s late effort merely confirmed it.