England vs. Slovenia: Score, Grades and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier

Wayne Rooney celebrated his 100th cap for England by sparking the comeback that saw England ultimately beat Slovenia 3-1 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Rooney scored from the penalty spot shortly before the hour mark to draw England back on level terms in the 2016 UEFA European Championship qualifier mere moments after Jordan Henderson's own goal had given the visitors a surprise lead.

The goal was Rooney's 44th in international football—drawing him level with Jimmy Greaves on the Three Lions' all-time list—as he moved within five of Sir Bobby Charlton's overall record.

Danny Welbeck then scored from close range to complete the turnaround in remarkably quick fashion, as Roy Hodgson's side duly continued their 100 percent record in Group E—with Welbeck's second strike, following a well-worked team move, adding a certain flourish to a solid evening's work.

It was England's fifth straight victory in international matches, the first such run they have enjoyed for six years. They now have 12 points from four games in Group E, with only a spectacular run of poor results now needed to deny them comfortable qualification for the tournament finals in 2016.

"It was a good day in the end," Rooney told ITV afterward. "We had to show our character, and that will be good for us as a team. It was a great reaction from the players.

"It was great we got the goal so early on after they scored. [Welbeck] has showed he is a top forward, and he's getting better the more games he plays. He's a fantastic football player.

"At the minute, we've got a good winning mentality. We knew it was going to be a tough night, but the character we showed is great. That winning mentality is with us, and we think we are going to win every game."

The first half will have been familiar to anyone who has watched England since the World Cup—or indeed during the tournament in Brazil. Perhaps not helped by the state of the pitch at Wembley, which was still showing the effects of last weekend's NFL game, the home side were nevertheless laborious in possession and lacking ideas in the final third, with clear-cut chances conspicuous in their absence over the first 45 minutes.

Nathaniel Clyne, handed his debut by Hodgson, was a noteworthy presence down the right, as the full-back's surging runs seemed to cause Slovenia the most serious problems. One run in particular nearly created the opening goal, as Welbeck fired wide of Samir Handanovic's near post.

It was about the best opening England created in the first half although Welbeck could perhaps also have done better with another headed opportunity soon after. Rooney and Raheem Sterling both also missed the target with half-chances, but beyond that, Handanovic was relatively untested.

That is not to say England were under any real pressure, either, with Slovenia forward Milivoje Novakovic missing from close range in the one real chance his side created after Andraz Kirm fired tamely at Joe Hart in the opening exchanges.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The second half would start in similar fashion, and it ultimately took an unlikely deflection to spark the game into life. Henderson was the unfortunate culprit, the Liverpool midfielder slightly off-balance as he inadvertently ended up heading a dangerous inswinging free-kick over Hart and into the back of the net.

"

What a finish by Henderson https://t.co/xRjwOgntvl

— Football Vines (@FootballVines) November 15, 2014"

England were behind without really doing anything particularly wrong, but the response was swift and efficient. The home side poured forward, and barely two minutes later, they were given a gilt-edged chance to get back on level terms, as Bostjan Cesar brought down Rooney in the box.

Handanovic has a spectacular penalty record—he had saved the last five he had faced—but Rooney would not be denied on his special night, powering his shot to the goalkeeper's right as even a finger-tip save from the Inter Milan No. 1 could not prevent the shot from finding the back of the net.

That seemed to crack Slovenia's resolve, and it was not long before the game was turned around completely. Again, there was an element of fortune about the buildup, as a deflection on Adam Lallana's driven cross forced Handanovic into an improvised save.

The ball bounced in the middle of the area, and there was Welbeck arriving late. The forward's first-time volley was not hit cleanly, but that almost helped it, as it bounced off the turf before nestling in the corner.

That lifted the mood around Wembley and simultaneously eased the pressure on the hosts, who seemed to play with a freedom and clarity of purpose that had eluded them in the opening 70 minutes. A clinching third goal would arrive from one such passage of play, as Sterling and Welbeck exchanged neat passes on the edge of the Slovenia box to play the Arsenal forward in.

Onside, Welbeck took a touch to control the ball before passing a calm shot around Handanovic.

During the final 15 minutes, Welbeck pursued his hat-trick although it was Rooney who would have grabbed his second of the game had Henderson not mishit a relatively straightforward cross.

Substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain then nearly got on the scoresheet as he flicked on an inswinging cross, but England were ultimately forced to settle for a 3-1 victory—one Hodgson was more than happy to accept in the circumstances.

"It was not going to be an easy game, because they were disciplined and well-organised," Hodgson told ITV. "After [the penalty] I thought our play was better, and in the end it turned out to be a very good result.

"Now in the group we’ve beaten Switzerland away and beaten Slovenia at home, which puts us in a very good position."

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Player Ratings

Player	Rating
Joe Hart	6
Nathaniel Clyne	7
Gary Cahill	7
Phil Jagielka	7
Kieran Gibbs	7
Jack Wilshere	7
Jordan Henderson	6
Raheem Sterling	7
Adam Lallana	6
Wayne Rooney	7
Danny Welbeck	7
Substitutions
James Milner	6
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain	6
Chris Smalling	6

Player	Rating
Samir Handanovic	7
Miso Brecko	6
Bostjan Cesar	6
Branko Ilic	7
Jasmin Kurtic	6
Andraz Struna	6
Andraz Kirm	7
Kevin Kampl	6
Ales Mertelj	7
Valter Birsa	6
Milivoje Novakovic	7
Substitutions
Dejan Lazarevic	6
Rajko Rotman	6
Zlatan Ljubijankic	6

What's Next?

England have an eagerly anticipated friendly encounter on Tuesday, as they meet Scotland at Celtic Park. On the same day, Slovenia take on Colombia at Arena Petrol. 

All quotes taken from ITV's live post-match broadcast.