David Beckham admits England have yet to play at their best, but said getting three points against Trinidad and Tobago was what mattered most.
England squeezed past the admirable Trinidadians 2-0 but had to wait until the 83rd minute to find the back of the net and calm nerves on the England bench.
They had Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard to thank for victory, and Beckham said credit must also go to the Caribbean minnows who fought like warriors.
"We knew it would be a hard game and that they would get 11 men behind the ball," said Beckham, who ended the match in the unfamiliar position of right back.
"They made it hard for us all the game but we knew that if we stuck to our game plan then we'd break them down."
While England were less than convincing in the first half and could have gone behind, they perked up when Wayne Rooney and teenager Aaron Lennon came on as a substitute for Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher respectively with 30 minutes remaining.
England have struggled getting goals in the second period in recent matches and Beckham took their second half performance, sparked by Rooney, as the most encouraging aspect of the game.
{{/usCountry}}England have struggled getting goals in the second period in recent matches and Beckham took their second half performance, sparked by Rooney, as the most encouraging aspect of the game.
{{/usCountry}}"The good thing about the game is that we finished strongly," he said.