It is perhaps too early in England's Euro 2013 qualifying campaign to put their meeting with Slovenia at Swindon on Thursday – only the second of eight group matches – into the must-win category.
After the dissatisfying 2-2 draw against Serbia in Belgrade on Saturday, and with a dangerous Holland team to face in Zwolle next month, anything less than victory against the Slovenians may seriously hamper the chances of Hope Powell's side – runners-up at Euro 2009 – claiming Group 6's only guaranteed place at the 2013 finals in Sweden.
Along with Serbia and Croatia, Slovenia are the minnows of the five-nation group, and in recent years England have enjoyed the happy habit of comfortably beating opponents such as these en route to qualifying for World Cups as well as European Championships.
Not this time. "There are obviously things we need to work on for the next game," said Powell after the national coach's record-breaking 140th game in charge of an England team had ended with Vesna Smiljkovic's stoppage‑time equaliser giving Serbia a thoroughly deserved point, having been two down at half‑time.
The Arsenal winger Rachel Yankey's sixth‑minute opener and a 19th‑minute Violeta Slovic own goal had put England firmly in control, but after several ensuing chances were squandered, Danka Podovac's 55th‑minute effort sent Powell's team into a state of nervousness that deepened as the match progressed.
The intense heat may have contributed to the second‑half fade-out, but the Serbs showed higher levels of stamina, and neither Powell nor her captain, Casey Stoney, used temperatures exceeding 30C as an excuse. "We had enough chances to put the game to bed," said Lincoln's Stoney, "but we allowed them to get back into the game and frustration started to creep into our play."
Powell took some consolation from a result that may come back to haunt her team. "We didn't lose the game," she said, "and if Serbia perform against Holland the way they performed against us there's every chance that there could be an upset there as well."
The Serbia coach, Suzana Stanojevic, whose side face Holland on Wednesday, was understandably delighted with one of the best results in their history. "People thought it was unrealistic to play equal to the English team," she said, "but we showed it is possible." Slovenia will be aiming to do likewise at the County Ground on Thursday.