The Three Lions had a host of chance in the first half before Wayne Rooney eventually opened the scoring just before the break, heading the ball past the otherwise excellent Wojciech
Szczesny.
Roy Hodgson's charges endured a nervy second period as
they failed to kill off the match, until captain Steven Gerrard
burst forward, dinked the ball over Szczesny and put the tie
beyond doubt.
Chris Smalling was given the nod to replace the suspended
Kyle Walker in the England starting line-up, while Michael
Carrick was preferred to Frank Lampard in midfield.
Poland, meanwhile, backed by a huge following of around 18,000 fans, made three changes to the side beaten by Ukraine on Friday night, with Szczesny replacing Artur
Boruc in goal, while Piotr Celeban and Waldemar Sobota also came in.
The game started at a frantic pace, with the in- form Andros Townsend, rampaging up the right flank once more, stinging the palms of Szczesny. Danny Welbeck latched onto the rebound, but could only send his header wide of the post.
Poland were dangerous on the counterattack and
Sobota should have done better when he was afforded too much space but fired wide of the near post, then England
were given another let off when Robert Lewandowski raced
clear but fired wide with only Joe Hart to beat.
There was no let up in the action as the tricky Townsend
rattled the crossbar with a thumping left-footed strike, before
Welbeck somehow dragged a shot wide from point-blank
range when it seemed easier to score.
The Manchester United striker was presented with another
chance 11 minutes before half-time when Gerrard played him
in with a cushioned pass, but the 22-year-old failed to get the
ball out of his feet and Szczesny came out to avert the danger.
It seemed it would be only a matter of time before the
breakthrough would come and the opening goal duly arrived
five minutes before the break, when Leighton Baines picked
out Rooney with a pinpoint delivery and the striker rose
unmarked to head home from six yards out, his seventh goal
in six Group H appearances.
Poland made a bright start to the second half and Gary Cahill
did well to get in the way of a goal-bound shot from Mateusz
Klich, on as half-time substitute.
Cahill came close to a second England goal five minutes after
the break when the busy Szczesny palmed away his
downward header from a Gerrard corner, then Grzegorz
Krychowiak almost put the ball into his own net when
stretching to cut out Rooney's dangerous cross.
Lewandowski went one-on-one with Hart once again on the
hour-mark, but the England keeper raced out and narrowed
the angle to thwart the Borussia Dortmund striker.
Rooney almost had a second after 66 minutes only for
Szczesny to tip away the England striker's long-range strike
that was bound for the far corner, while Sturridge was also
denied by the Arsenal keeper once more.
But just as the tension in Wembley was becoming
unbearable, captain Gerrard struck the decisive blow that
guaranteed the three points England needed to top the group,
driving into the penalty area before neatly finishing past
Szczesny to seal the Three Lions' place in Brazil next summer.
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