Fabio Capello has conceded that his team were lucky to escape their Wembley clash with Wales with three points.

England went 1-0 up in the first half, but were pushed by Wales in the second, and a close-range miss by Robert Earnshaw in the 76th minute ensured that the home team avoided another Wembley upset.

"We were lucky," the England boss said after the match. "The moment when their player made a big mistake in front of goal was lucky, but I didn't think we played very well in the last 15 minutes and we suffered.

"We played well for 20 minutes in the first half but we need to play well for the whole match. We need to play well for every moment."

Capello praised Manchester United winger Ashley Young, who netted in the first half to give England their only goal of the night.

"Ashley Young is a really good player," said Capello. "He was good when he started playing with me and I've known him three or four years now. He is a really important player for us. His movement with and without the ball is really good."

The victory leaves England needing only one point to qualify for the Euro 2012 tournament.