World Cup 2014 qualifier: Poland 1 England 1

Glik 71; Rooney 31

England missed the chance to move three points clear at the top of World Cup qualifying Group H after a disappointing 1-1 draw in Poland.

After Tuesday's farcical postponement, Wayne Rooney snatched an undeserved first-half lead on a heavy pitch - but the visitors had to hold on in the end once Kamil Glik had finally converted Polish pressure.

The hosts were first to threaten - Kamil Grosicki failing to make a purposeful connection with Jakub Wawrzyniak's seventh-minute pull-back, and Joe Hart had to be out quickly to deny Lukasz Piszczek soon after.

Robert Lewandowski had just lashed across the face of goal when England took the lead against the run of play in the 31st minute when Rooney shouldered in Steven Gerrard's corner from six yards.

Grosicki was again wasteful in skewing an inspired scooped pass from Lewandowski wide of the near post before the break, and it took a last-ditch tackle from Glen Johnson to excuse a Phil Jagielka miscue two minutes into the second period.

Ludovic Obraniak twice went close as the one-way traffic continued - forcing Hart to tip over and then thrashing a shot into a crowd of England defenders, and Piszczek found the side-netting from a tight angle before the hour.

England passed up two chances to make the game safe as Jermain Defoe miscued badly from a clever set-piece move and Rooney cleared the bar from Danny Welbeck's lay-off, and Poland finally levelled with 20 minutes left.

Obraniak swung over the corner and Glik beat Joleon Lescott and the on-rushing Hart to glance home, and England were grateful to see out the remaining 20 minutes without conceding again.

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match commentary

90+3 mins: That's FULL TIME! Poland win the ball in midfield but as the attack's snuffed out the whistle blows! A hard-earned point apiece, Glik's header cancelling out Rooney's effort which looked more shoulder than head, but England's passing and movement left a lot to be desired. England top Group H on 8 points, one ahead of Montenegro with 7, Poland staying in touch with 5.

90+2 mins: Jagelka leaves a ball and Hart's forced to rush out of his box and thunder it clear.

90 mins: Three minutes added on as England probe down the left, then switch it right.

89 mins: Third change for Poland and it's a more defensive one, Obraniak making way for Borysiuk.

88 mins: Corner to Poland on the far side - everyone under the roof is on their feet. They pack the box but Lescott rises to head clear. It's hooked back in but Hart gathers safely on the deck. Really tense finish in Warsaw.

87 mins: England are really pressing now! Johnson finds Gerrard down the right, his low ball in nearly picks out Welbeck but Tyton cuts it out on the deck!

86 mins: England work hard to find an opening down the right, Milner eventually crossing to Welbeck who gets between two defenders but flashes his header just past the far post!

85 mins: Obraniak's one-two on the edge of the box with Polanski just fails to come off. England were in trouble if it had.

83 mins: Second Polish sub - Grosicki off, Milik on for his second cap. The 18-year-old is this season's leading goalscorer in Poland. *gulp*

81 mins: Another fine chance for Poland and it's almost a carbon copy of their goal, Gilk meeting Obraniak's corner eight yards out but this one balloons over Hart's bar! Mark up, eh?!

79 mins: England win a corner on the near side, it's played short to Milner but his ball in tamely plops onto the roof of the net.

78 mins: Piszczek gets beyond Cole dowm the right, Poland toy with England as they try to get the cross in, there's a handball shout against Jagielka after a cross bounces off Lescott on to him before Poland win another corner. Trying times for England! They at least have some respite as the whistle goes for a foul on Hart as the corner comes in.

76 mins: Great work by Oxlade-Chamberlain to get a cross in from the right under pressure, before Tyton leaps to punch behind for a corner. It's cleared, but England already look more lively since AOC came on.

73 mins: Second sub for England, Rooney being replaced by Oxlade-Chamberlain. If he's not picked up an injury, he won't be chuffed with that.

71 mins: GLIK LEVELS FOR POLAND!  Obraniak sends in a corner from the right, Hart comes to punch and gets nowhere near it, Glik sending the header into the far corner from eight yards!

70 mins: Rooney blazes a golden chance over! Welbeck fights hard to stay onside and is eventually sent clear through the middles. Keeper Tyton gets a touch on the ball as the striker rounds him which sends Welbeck wide, before he cuts back to Rooney who fires way over the bar!

68 mins: Lewandowski's just caught rocking on his heels and fails to get a shot away from a ball across the edge of the area. Got a bad feeling about this the more the half wears on.

67 mins: Hodgson makes his first change, Defoe making way for the king of backheels Welbeck.

66 mins: Hand-ball and yellow card for Glik as Defoe's cross clocks him completely blind on the arm. Soft one. Gerrard hooks the free-kick in to Defoe at the back stick but his volley is misjudged and straight back across the six-yard box!

64 mins: First sub of the game sees Wszolek make way for Mierzejewski.

62 mins: Johnson's appealing for a penalty after he goes down in the box under close attention from Wszolek but the Italian ref Rocchi's having none of it.

60 mins: Another fine, driving run by Piszczek ends with him rattling a low shot just wide of the right-hand post! Warning signs for England...

58 mins: Wawrzyniak hooks a cross in from the left, Rooney's clearance is poor into the ground but England eventually get it away after a block by Cole. An ITV mike has just picked up someone in the crowd or maybe even the commentary box proclaiming "It's a **** game, innit?" I wouldn't go that far, but both sides are struggling to hit top gear.

55 mins: Piszczek's picked out in the box but he takes a heavy first touch and the ball's back with Hart.

52 mins: Poland are looking dangerous since the break. England are chasing the ball, but this attack comes to a limp end as Wszolek curls the ball straight into Hart's arms.

49 mins: Hart tips over from Obraniak! Fine strike from just outside the box and the England keeper concedes a corner at full stretch. Corner comes to nowt.

48 mins: Cleverley cuts out a left-wing cross before Gerrard hoofs clear but England are under the cosh at the start of this half.

47 mins: Jeepers! Jagielka makes a hash of clearing a right-wing cross eight yards out but Johnson's fortunately on hand to side in and take the ball away from Obraniak.

46 mins: Poland get the second half started with England now playing right to left - no subs to bring you.

45 mins: Superb recovery by Johnson as the National Stadium rises as one as they see Lewandowski screaming through the middle, but the defender quickly has them sitting back down again with a great last-ditch tackle. And with nothing to be added on, that's half time! England's passing and movement have been poor, but they lead at the break thanks to Rooney's simple header from Gerrard's corner. Lewandowski looked more dangerous as the half wore on, and with the pitch cutting up Hart could be in for some nervous moments in the second half. Keep your thoughts on the match coming via my name above, and join me for the second half at 1700.

44 mins: Dreamy ball in by Lewandowski to pick out Grosicki but his crack from eight yards is just wide of Hart's near post!

43 mins: Johnson cuts inside and has a pop with his left peg but it's way over Tyton's bar from 20 yards.

42 mins: Fine control by Rooney from a throw-in but then he just fails to find Milner thanks to some alert defending from Wasilewski.

40 mins: Piszczek turns a cross in and Lescott does just about enough to put it behind for a corner on the near side. Rooney gets his head to it in the six-yard box before Jagielka gives it some beans up to the half-way line.

38 mins: Cole picks up a soft yellow card for *presumably* time-wasting over a throw-in.

36 mins: Gerrard looks for Rooney but it's turned away towards Cleverley 25 yards out. It's an awkward thrash which bends wide and looks rather tame in the end.

33 mins: Poland pile forward in a bid to hit straight back and Lewandowski's allowed to run, and run, and run... before his stabbed through ball from the left of the box fails to pick out a white shirt.

31 mins: ROONEY PUTS ENGLAND AHEAD!  Gerrard wriggles through two down the left of the box before Piszczek puts it out for a corner on the far side. Gerrard hoiks it in and poor marking allows Rooney to head home, dead centre, six yards out!

29 mins: Lewandowski's getting closer! He charges down the right of the box and rattles a low effort across the six-yard box. It goes for a throw-in, but don't let that fool you - Hart was a little worried!

27 mins: Milner aims a low cross towards Defoe at the near post but Wasilewski reads it like a book and slides in for a corner to England. Fine defending. Gerrard takes towards Rooney but his knock-down is cleared to the centre-circle.

25 mins: Lewandowski can't find a way through the middle and spreads the ball wide, but Wszolek's eventual ball in from the left leaves Polish heads in hands. Goal kick.

22 mins: Gerrard's looking frustrated by the lack of options ahead of him as he tries to unlock the polish defence. England's passing in general hasn't clicked in to top gear yet.

20 mins: Rooney clips a ball in towards Defoe but keeper Tyton claims ahead of him. Think the offside flag was about to be thrust out anyway.

19 mins: Piszczek looks to to pick out Wszolek down the left but Johnson reads it well and England clear their lines. The ball's then banged up to Defoe who's looking rather isolated.

17 mins: Rooney fails to win a header in the middle and Poland break, but sterling work by Jagielka follows to halt the move.

15 mins: Half-hearted handball shout as Glik clears a ball at the near post looking for Defoe. No chance.

14 mins: Brave keeping by Hart to save at the feet of Obraniak as the right-back motors up the pitch and latches on to a square ball down the right of the box.

11 mins: Polanski's first in the book for clipping Defoe as he runs across his path. Harsh - it looked like he was trying to get out of the striker's way.

9 mins: Grosicki scuffs a great chance from ten yards! He's picked out by a ball from the left but makes a complete hash of his shot which bobbles up and is headed clear!

8 mins: Piszczek's throw is allowed to bounce and picks out Lewandowski. England eventually intercept but the hosts are straight back on them.

7 mins: Johnson bids to pick out Cleverley's run through the middle but it's a one-bouncer through to keeper Tyton.

5 mins: Defoe spins off Glik and hares after a long ball from Cleveley, but keeps Tyton comes across to slide and gather at his feet on the edge of the box. Not much bounce...

3 mins: Decent early ball in by Milner from the right, Cleverley meets it on the volley but it's blocked from close range.

2 mins: Gerrard and Milner bid to make progress through the middle after an early foray down the right by the Poles. Tentative passing so far, but the ball's not getting held up.

0 mins: England get us under way in their blue change strip, playing left to right in the first half.

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1554: God Save The Queen is heartily applauded by the Polish public - Wem-ber-lee take note. The Poles follow up with a lusty rendition of their own. And we, 20 hours late, are ready to rumble!

1532: The air is dry, the sky is blue and yes - the roof is closed is Warsaw. Just in case, like. The pitch is dry on top but soggy under the surface, and cutting up a little in the warm-up - "perfectly playable" says Roy Hodgson. The early arrivals in the stands were of course decked out in goggles and snorkels, and in front of a packed National Stadium we're set to get under way at 1600. If you've not managed to bag an early dash from work, stick with us for full live commentary.

1400: Let's try again then, shall we? The Poles' dire weather and incompetence, together with some heavyweight 'persuasion' from the English FA, has combined to bring us all back to the National Stadium in Warsaw, where the roof can only be closed when it's not raining.

Several of the Poland players are reportedly unhappy that this World Cup qualifier could not be put back to a later date as they have club matches on Friday. But England's packed calendar of (lucrative) friendlies meant the FA refused to budge and Adrian Bevington swiftly got on the blower to book an extra night's accommodation and delay the flight home.

The skies were clear this morning in the Polish capital, but ironically the roof will be closed, at the FA's insistence. Both sets of players and coaching staff will need to re-focus on the business of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.

We already know the team news. England line-up looks like this - Hart; G Johnson, Jagielka, Lescott, Cole; Milner, Gerrard, Carrick, Cleverley; Rooney, Defoe. Roy Hodgson has made six changes from the San Marino game. Out go Kyle Walker, Gary Cahill, Theo Walcott (all due to injury), Leighton Baines, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck.

The only unexpected news is that Tom Cleverley keeps his place with Oxlade-Chamberlain benched. Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole are recalled to win their 99th caps, three of the back line are changed, James Milner returns in place of Walcott and Welbeck in particular can count himself rather unlucky to be ousted by Defoe.

Poland have beaten England only once - back in 1973 - but their hopes of a rare victory have been dented by injuries to captain Jakub Blaszczykowski, as well as first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, defender Lukasz Piszczek and midfielder Eugen Polanski.

teams

England: Hart, Johnson, Jagielka, Lescott, Cole, Milner, Gerrard, Carrick, Cleverley, Rooney, Defoe. Subs: Walker, Ruddy, Baines, Cahill, Shawcross, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shelvey, Lennon, A Johnson, Carroll, Welbeck, Forster.

Poland: Tyton, Piszczek, Wasilewski, Wawrzyniak, Glik, Polanski, Krychowiak, Wszolek, Grosicki, Obraniak, Lewandowski. Subs: Kuszczak, Wojtkowiak, Komorowski, Borysiuk, Murawski, Milik, Mierzejewski, Sobota, Piech, Perquis, Sobiech, Skorupski.

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)