ONE point gained or two points lost?

In the immediate aftermath of England's 1-1 draw with Ukraine at Wembley, it felt like the latter. But perhaps as the qualifying process for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil unfolds, the importance of Frank Lampard's dramatic late equaliser will become increasingly apparent.

Four points from the opening two matches is a decent return, and it should be noted that every team in Group H has already dropped at least two points from either one or two games.

Poland, Ukraine and Montenegro are clearly closely matched, and for all that England are somehow ranked at number three in FIFA's world rankings, it is hard to argue that Roy Hodgson's side are too far ahead of their opponents.

With that in mind, maybe the avoidance of defeat on Wednesday was not such a bad result after all?

"Ukraine are a good team with good players," said Lampard, whose penalty drew him level with Bryan Robson's record of 26 international goals. "Their wingers are particularly good and they also have experience running through the team.

"It won't be an easy group. Poland and Montenegro are teams that can cause you problems as well.

"This is international football. Ukraine are no mugs and we are also looking to find the right blend with a few young players coming through.

"We won in Moldova and people got excited. But you have to keep your feet on the ground as getting to a finals is a process. Getting a point off Ukraine is another part of that."

When England won 5-0 in Chisinau last Friday, the quality of their attacking play was hailed as a major step forward from the more staid performances that characterised this summer's European Championships.

Wednesday's display was nowhere near as fluent, although England created a number of chances with Jermain Defoe seeing a goal controversially ruled out for a push and both Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck striking the woodwork.

Hodgson's restructuring of his side's midfield remains a work in progress, and it will be interesting to see how he sets his side up once the likes of Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney are available.

Lampard's partnership with Gerrard continues to be a source of considerable debate, but the former is keen to draw the positives from Wednesday's spirited recovery from a one-goal deficit.

"The thing we can take out of the game is that we stuck at it," he said. "We held our nerve, and a lot of credit to us for that. The performance wasn't vintage, but we showed a lot of desire to get back into the game.

"When teams sit deep and go man to man in midfield, which they did, it can make it difficult. So maybe we have to show a bit more invention.

"We can't criticise too much because we kept going. The substitutes who came on were very sharp and brought a new angle to our game.

"We got behind them, we had shots and we hit the post. We also had a goal disallowed early on that was a goal. So while it was slightly slow at times, I think our character brought us through."

Lampard displayed considerable character himself in the closing stages, stepping up to dispatch an 87th-minute penalty.

The Chelsea midfielder has now scored nine spot-kicks for his country, having also found the target from 12 yards in Moldova.

"There were only a few minutes left at that stage, so we needed to score," he said. "Taking a penalty at that stage is never easy, especially when you have taken one a few days earlier.

"You know the goalkeeper will have seen that as they watch every one that's taken. When it is so fresh in the mind, it can be a little bit of mind games.

"It was great to get back in the game, but ideally you wouldn't be in that position. You relish it when the ball hits the back of the net, so in that moment before, you go into the zone to make sure you score."