Rooney and Gerrard send England to World Cup finals

London: Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard scored to send England to the World Cup finals with a 2-0 victory over Poland on Tuesday that gave them top spot in qualifying Group H on a thrilling and nervy night at Wembley.

Rooney`s 41st-minute breakthrough was brilliantly created and executed after a patient England build-up gathered pace when Leighton Baines crossed for the Manchester United striker, who nodded the ball down and wide of keeper Wojciech Szczesny. The match was played on a knife-edge as anything other than a win would have consigned England to a potentially difficult two-legged playoff tie, with group rivals Ukraine cruising to an easy win over San Marino. But midfielder Gerrard sparked English celebrations in the 88th minute when he burst into the area, cut inside and poked the ball past Szczesny. England finish top of the section with 22 points, with Ukraine second on 21.