England moved a point clear at the top of Group H with a 1-1 draw against Poland in their World Cup qualification clash in Warsaw.

It was the away side that took the lead against the run of play after 31 minutes when Wayne Rooney headed a Steven Gerrard corner into the back of the net.

However, Kamil Glik levelled for Poland 20 minutes from time when the defender fired a powerful header past Joe Hart.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Group H rivals.

Match statistics:

Poland:
Shots 10
On target 3
Possession 42%
Corners 7
Fouls 10

England:
Shots 6
On target 1
Possession 58%
Corners 4
Fouls 7

Was the result fair?

On the balance of play, you would be hard pushed to make a case for an England win. The away side dominated the possession, but they registered just one shot on target in the 90 minutes. Poland always looked the side most likely when they attacked and it would have been a travesty if they had not gained something from the match.

Poland's performance

7/10. It was an impressive performance from the Euro 2012 co-hosts. They started the afternoon on the front foot and were unlucky to go behind after 31 minutes. They hit the target three times, but that is without mentioning the various opportunities they created. On the whole, they will be pleased with a point against the favourites for the group.

England's performance

5/10. Ever so bitty. Truth be told, the opening 45 minutes was as poor a performance they have made in recent years. They entered the break ahead mainly due to poor finishing and some heroic defending from Phil Jagielka. They improved in the second period, but one shot on target tells you everything you need to know.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Lukasz Piszczek: The 27-year-old Borussia Dortmund defender was a constant threat for the home side and impressed with his defensive duties. He's as good as any right-back in world football.

Biggest gaffe of the match

Hart has had a lot of praise in recent weeks, but he must take the blame for coming and failing to punch a corner clear – allowing Glik to head the equaliser into the net.

Referee performance

The image of Gianluca Rocchi throwing the ball around the pitch on Tuesday evening will live long in the memory. He has been widely criticised for his actions, but he was directed by FIFA. Luckily for the Italian, he had a comfortable 90 minutes on Wednesday.

What next?

Poland: The Poles continue their World Cup qualification campaign at home to Ukraine on March 22.

England: Roy Hodgson takes his side to San Marino on March 22 as he attempts to make it three wins from five Group H matches.

Written by
Matt Law