In the end it came down to the nuts and bolts. Self-assembled furniture usually does but, on this occasion, it was England who were the flatpack bullies, following simple diagrams and instructions to the letter to knock out Sweden and reach a World Cup semi-final.

So much of football comes down to ingenuity and split-second inspiration, those moments where nobody else can help you but yourself.

But not this England, a team that are capable of the sublime but have first conquered set pieces, the building blocks on which their success is founded.

England's defender Harry Maguire celebrates after scoring the opener (AFP/Getty Images)

What settled this knockout tie was two headers, two times that a well-organised team couldn't handle what most northern European nations would consider the basics and, ultimately, two goals.

England have got themselves to this weird situation now where every corner kick feels like a penalty, where every free kick feels like a penalty and where every goal kick becomes a chance to take a breather and wonder where the next corner is coming from.

Harry Maguire headed at least three crosses today. Why cross normally when you can just power it across the face of goal with your forehead, instilling utmost fear into the minds of a team who had prepared for this and still couldn't cope?

England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Jordan Pickford – 9 out of 10 Save after save after save to keep his goal intact. His first brilliant save kept Berg at bay with a dive to his left, his second came with brilliant reactions to deny Toivonen and his third once again frustrated Berg. Nothing short of brilliant. REUTERS England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Kyle Walker – 7 out of 10 Started strongly and looked to gain confidence, with no mistakes that have blighted his campaign so far. AFP/Getty Images England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Harry Maguire – 8 out of 10 Excellent header to open the scoring as he outmuscled the Swedish defence and he was a bright spark at the back for England, with his surging runs from deep replicating that of his colleague Stones. REUTERS England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings John Stones – 7 out of 10 He may have been overshadowed by Maguire but it was still a solid performance from the defender as he marshalled his lesser experienced centre-back-partners. AP England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Kieran Trippier – 8 out of 10 His delivery from corners was so consistent and gave England chances to attack, which Maguire duly took. Has been a revelation in Russia. EPA England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Jordan Henderson – 8 out of 10 Started off in a feisty manner as he clashed early with referee Bjorn Kuipers, but his performance started to do the talking with a committed showing. Crucial block after Pickford’s save from Toivonen the undoubted highlight. EPA England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Dele Alli – 8 out of 10 Silenced his critics with a second half header to put England two goals clear and effectively into the semi-finals. Linked with England’s attack well as he was given free licence to roam by the Swedes. EPA England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Ashley Young – 7 out of 10 Didn’t have a lot to do as he was allowed to focus on getting forwards against the poor Swedish attack. Important touch to take the ball away from John Guidetti late on. REUTERS England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Jesse Lingard – 7 out of 10 Lovely floated ball into Alli teed up the second goal on a plate, and he continues to jusify his place in the England squad. AP England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Raheem Sterling – 7 out of 10 Made run after run after run in the first half, only for his final touch to let him down as he twice sprung the offside trap. One should have resulted in a goal, but it was a solid showing if not with the finishing touch. PA England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Harry Kane – 6 out of 10 Slightly off colour, which given his performances in Russia so far can be forgiven. Had an early sighter that just ran past the far post, but couldn’t react quick enough when the ball fell to his feet in close-range. REUTERS England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Robin Olsen – 5 out of 10 His commitment to trying to save Maguire’s header can easily be questioned as he gave up on it before the ball had even crossed the line. EPA England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Emil Frafth – 4 out of 10 Gave away possession far too cheaply early on and England were able to target him with Sterling, Young and Lingard teaming up on the replacement, with Mikael Lustig absent. REUTERS England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Victor Lindelof – 5 out of 10 Came off second best up against Maguire at set-pieces and he did not look the imposing and controlling centre-back that he needed to be. AFP/Getty Images England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Andreas Granqvist – 7 out of 10 Sweden’s standout player as he gave it his all in a captain’s performance at the back, only for his teammates around him to wilt. REUTERS England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Ludwig Augustinsson – 6 out of 10 Didn’t close down Trippier quick enough that allowed the right-wing-back to deliber plenty of ball into the area for England to attack. AP England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Viktor Claesson – 6 out of 10 Grew into the game in the second half as he tried to free Berg and Toivonen, but was near-enough absent in the first half. AFP/Getty Images England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Sebastian Larsson – 5 out of 10 Disappointing performance as he was overran in the midfield. Had a late chance to make an impression when Sweden were awarded a free-kick, but allowed Forsberg to claim it instead who wasted the chance. EPA England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Albin Ekdal – 6 out of 10 Had a sighter from distance that never threatened Pickford’s goal, but offered little else going forward. AFP/Getty Images England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Emil Forsberg – 5 out of 10 Given what he is capable of, this was a disappointing performance from the wideman as the game largely passed him by. AP England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Marcus Berg – 6 out of 10 Should have scored twice but met his match in Pickford. His first chance saw him go for placement, only for Pickford to get a hand to it, and his second was more power only for the ‘keeper to palm it over the bar. AFP/Getty Images England vs Sweden World Cup player ratings Ola Toivonen – 5 out of 10 His goalscoring struggles continue and when a glorious chance arose to end his drought, he fluffed his lines not once but twice as first Pickford and then Henderson blocked his efforts. By the time he went for a third, you felt he’d never score no matter how long this game lasted. AFP/Getty Images

All through the World Cup we have seen Gareth Southgate's implementation of set-play techniques from American sports - the pick 'n' roll, the stack, the screen - and Sweden had plenty of tape to analyse to try and work out where the cracks were but they came up just as short as every team that has tried to stop England thus far.

For Maguire's goal, the opener that blew open this game and forced Sweden to come out of their shell, it was Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane who played the key roles. Sterling holds his marker still while the two Harrys loop around him, using the Manchester City man and his defender as a barrier to give them a yard or two of space. Like an NFL offensive line creating a running lane, Maguire was about to have a channel to run into, allowing him a greater leap, plus no defender near him.

Kane, Stones and Maguire gather near the edge of the box (BBC)

Kane then makes the first run, taking players with him and ending up surrounded by three yellow shirts as Maguire, entering the channel created by Kane and Sterling's movement, bounds onto the ball and heads home unopposed.

As he does so, the closest player to him is the defender that was allocated to Sterling, Emil Forsberg, one of the smallest players on the field and thus completely incapable of stopping the Leicester defender - one of England's most deadly aerial weapons.

Maguire headed home to break Sweden's resolve and pull them way ahead of their rivals as the World Cup's most-successful team at set pieces.

Maguire ran through the gap created by Sterling and Kane (BBC)

Given the strength of the Three Lions from dead-ball situations there is a lot of homework down the line for Russia or Croatia, whoever wins tonight's showdown in Sochi and draws England in their World Cup semi-final for a generation.

But on this evidence who can stop them? Alli's goal that killed off this game had the feeling of a set piece with Jesse Lingard curling it to the far post and the Spurs man heading home at the far post unopposed. It was a defence that had been stretched and stressed to fracture.

England's Harry Maguire scores their first goal (REUTERS)

England had chances to see the game out in open play, most notably with two good chances for Sterling.

They would have been a bonus, and it would not have been beyond the realms of possibility for England to win this game 3-0 or 4-0 if those chances had found the net.