England expects little from its national football team these days, which is perhaps just as well.

Effective rather than spectacular might have been Roy Hodgson's career maxim, though England would readily settle for that given recent past failures.

Young at heart: The Manchester United winger opens the scoring in Norway with nine minutes gone

And here, Hodgson finally had his chance to manage England in practice, having spent much of the past month being asked to talk about it in theory.

While the performance may have been distinctly underwhelming, he will have been quietly encouraged by a narrow victory, even if his team spent much of the second half on the back foot against a mediocre side.

The serene surroundings of the Ullevaal Stadium, hills bedecked with pine forests glinting in the evening Scandinavian sun, can be deceptive.

England suffered two of their greatest humiliations here in 1981 and 1993. Veteran Norway coach Egil Olsen, architect of that '93 victory, had never lost in four outings against England.

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