It was not the spell-binding classic of 1990 and it fell short of the intoxicating drama of 1996, but as the celebrations lingered long into the night none of that really mattered.

England have played much better against Germany in the past and have risen to much greater heights of attacking prowess yet they have still ultimately lost.

This time around, they had finally beaten their arch rivals in a competitive match after six previous failures to do so since the 1966 World Cup final and this was the proof that results overwhelmingly matter more than performances.

Having thrown their qualification chances into doubt by losing to Portugal in their opening game after seizing an early 2-0 lead, Kevin Keegan's side now need a draw against Romania in their final group match to go through to a quarter-final against Italy.

On the basis of the final 70 minutes against Portugal and indeed the opening half-hour against Germany, when they again struggled to impose themselves in midfield, reaching the semi-finals would still seem a tough task.

However, it was not just the way in which Alan Shearer came up with an England goal for the first time in eight games when it mattered most that offered hope for tomorrow - and who could begrudge him that - but the way that Keegan's side then reacted.

The manager himself came of age in a tactical sense as Germany went on the offensive in search of the equaliser that they similarly achieved back at Wembley in the Euro 96 semi-finals.

Keegan, however, had learned the lessons of the Portugal game.

Off went Michael Owen, not to be replaced by Emile Heskey as he was at half-time in Eindhoven but by Steve Gerrard, a figure of considerable class and confidence at just 20.

Germany would not be Germany if, despite all their evident weaknesses up front in the absence of Oliver Bierhoff and for all their supposed internal divisions over the selection of Lothar Matthaus, they did not react to going behind by creating chances.

England may even at times have slightly ridden their luck - and enough bad fortune has come their way in previous such games - as the hulking figure of Carsten Jancker missed two clear openings and Mehmet Scholl rolled a shot just inches wide.

But Gerrard tackled for all he was worth in midfield; Paul Ince ran until he dropped and David Seaman offered presence in goal.

The key, however, was the centre-back pairing of Sol Campbell and, especially, Martin Keown.

Campbell had struggled at times to cope with Jancker's aerial ability but he gradually came to terms with the threat and Keown was an immovable object alongside him.

The Arsenal centre-back, recalled in the absence of Tony Adams through injury, may sometimes lack distribution skills but in sheer dogged defensive terms, he is virtually unrivalled.

The victory would still not have been possible without Shearer, even though Keegan's spiky comments after the match about the criticism the England captain had been receiving were ill-timed and unnecessary.

The simple fact was that as David Beckham's 52nd-minute free-kick sailed through a crowd of four players - Michael Owen, Scholes, Markus Babbel and Jens Jeremies - who else would you have wanted to be standing unmarked at the far post?

Shearer is not quite the player he once was but he was world-class then and, even now, he remains not only the best England striker at holding up the ball but also the most likely to hold his nerve at a moment like that.

He duly powered a header past keeper Oliver Kahn and embarked on that familiar arm-raised salute to the thousands of England fans who were erupting with joy around him.

Keegan declared: ''Hopefully there were more classic games in my career but never a more important match. It was a real man's game and Alan Shearer is a man amongst men.

''He would still captain my side in the World Cup qualifying if I had my way.

''England needed this win, forget about myself. We had to grind out a result and while some people might say it is not a great German side you have to earn the right to beat them and that's exactly what we did.''

Shearer added: ''They had one or two half-chances but we dug in and at the end of the game, you've seen what it meant to the players and the staff to win. It's been a long time.

''I thought the goalkeeper and the back-four were magnificent. When we needed them, they stood firm and we had a point to prove. It wasn't about pretty play, it was about grinding out a result - and that's what we did.''

Shearer added the 35th-minute header by Owen which keeper Oliver Kahn just managed to parry on the line had been the turning-point of the game as it ''seemed to lift everyone''.

The passing and movement which had been so worrying up to that point suddenly became sharper and although Beckham was booked for a foul on Ulf Kirsten, he promptly swung over a trademark cross from which Scholes was only denied by Kahn.

Nerves were still frayed even after Shearer's strike yet the moment when many England fans finally believed this could be their night after all came shortly afterwards.

Kirsten turned just four yards out to deflect the ball goalwards after a corner was headed on yet Seaman saved with his legs and when the rebound fell to Jancker, the Bayern Munich forward bundled his shot wide.

Where England had lost their heads against Portugal after going ahead, this time they were firmly screwed on.

And while Scholes' fitness may hold the key to the shape of the rest of the side against Romania the same spirit will be needed again to clinch qualification.

England need to learn lessons from especially the first 30 minutes against Germany and to step up on that display if they are to first qualify and then beat Italy.