“We are off to Russia,” boomed the voice over the loudspeakers. The crowd cheered obediently. The players embraced and, if we are going to be generous, England must be doing something right bearing in mind they have now reached four major tournaments in a row without losing a solitary qualifying match.

At the same time, it did not always feel like a night for celebration and it was actually heading towards an ignominious finale, with the crowd becoming increasingly mutinous until that moment three minutes into stoppage time, when Harry Kane jutted out his right foot to sugarcoat this bland performance with the winning goal.

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Kane has now scored 14 times in his past nine games and this latest one might have spared England a mixed response at the final whistle. Throughout the second half the crowd had felt it necessary to create their own entertainment, mostly with a squadron of paper planes being launched from the stands. It never looks good when Wembley has to make its own fun and in the last quarter of an hour the crowd’s patience was starting to wear thin. There were jeers for Raheem Sterling when a late attack broke down and more boos when Ryan Bertrand aimed a pass all the way back to Joe Hart from the halfway line.

The early-leavers would have headed away reflecting on a joyless night and for a team who still like to think of themselves as football royalty – note Marcus Rashford’s statement during the week that England were finally in a position to repeat 1966 – it was hardly the most convincing way to reach Russia. “Tonight highlighted where we are,” Southgate acknowledged afterwards.

The official man-of-the-match award actually went to Hart after a courageous double save, injuring himself in the process, to spare England from going behind towards the end of the 90 minutes. Hart might have given away a penalty in the first half too and from a less dangerous Slovenia attack he needed three attempts to clutch the ball safely. Rashford, England’s liveliest attacker, might have been a better choice but the goalkeeper’s selection seemed more appropriate, perhaps, for the narrative of a stodgy performance.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Harry Kane’s injury-time effort squeezes past Jan Oblak to put England ahead. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

To be fair to Gareth Southgate, he did not over-egg the win afterwards and admitted there was still a lot to learn, clearly disappointed they had not passed the ball more fluidly and noting in the face of some negative post-match questioning that it felt like the celebrations had lasted “maybe a couple of minutes”.

More than anything, England still seem to struggle with the simple rule that the most effective international teams know how to take care of the ball. Sterling, for example, got away with the moments of carelessness when he gave away possession inside his own half, leaving his team vulnerable to the counterattack, and that happened on three separate occasions. It does not mean he deserved to be made the crowd’s scapegoat but England do have to wise up. Group F has provided moderate opponents whereas the teams in Russia will not be so obliging.

At other times England could be seen trying to play the ball out of defence without appearing comfortable with the tactic and, as another snapshot of their performance, how about the sight of Kyle Walker being handed the responsibility from a free-kick 25 yards out? As Kane, Rashford and Eric Dier watched on – three players who are regulars in dead-ball situations – Walker strode towards the ball and curled his shot hopelessly over the crossbar. File this one with Kane being handed corner‑taking duties in Euro 2016.

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Sterling did at least keep looking for the ball but, on this evidence, he is better in wide positions rather than taking up a central role. Kane’s goal does not change the fact he also found it a slog for long spells and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose club form hardly warranted his place in the starting XI, missed another opportunity to flourish, lasting 64 minutes before his number went up and Jesse Lingard was given the chance to see if he could do any better.

That was the point of the match when the paper planes were circling and the loudest cheers seemed to be reserved for origami rather than football. The crowd was given as 61,598 but, in truth, that looked like a generous count, with the vast expanses of empty seats telling another story.

It was heading for an awkward finish until the late drama and, if nothing else, at least England gave the impression during stoppage time that they were not happy with a draw, and intent on doing something about it.

Kane’s goal was immaterial in one way because the bulletins from Scotland’s game against Slovakia confirmed England were on course to qualify anyway. In another respect it was an important goal because of the way it changed the mood and spared the team some hostile headlines.

Walker, who had a difficult night, surged down the right and Kane ran across his marker before stretching out to reach the cross. The captain’s determination to get there first was the most impressive part. It was a fine cross and Kane’s touch helped the ball brush past the bottom of Jan Oblak’s hand, the Slovenia goalkeeper, before trickling over the goal-line almost in slow motion.