Jermaine Pennant and Shola Ameobi celebrate in Sunderland

England coach David Platt was grateful for a Slovakian birthday present to keep his side's European Championship hopes alive on Tuesday.

Peter Dolezaj's 40th-minute own goal was all that separated the sides until Sheffield United centre-back Phil Jagielka added a flattering touch to the scoreline seven minutes from time.

England started the game nine points adrift of Turkey after the Group Seven leaders maintained their unbeaten campaign with a 3-0 home thrashing of Macedonia.

With second-placed Portugal also five points clear come kick-off, the match was a must-win scenario - though there was precious little to provide any inspiration.

The first half-hour passed without incident, until a Shola Ameobi effort was superbly clawed off the line by Marian Postrk.

KEY MOMENTS 31 mins: A Shola Ameobi drive comes close 40 mins A Peter Doleza own goal puts England ahead 51 mins: Jermaine Pennant's drive flies over the bar 83 mins: Phil Jagielka heads home to double the lead

Postrk, though, was left helpless soon after when Jermaine Pennant's low curling cross spun off the left thigh of Dolezaj and beyond the Slovakian number one.

Slovakia could manage little and it took them until early in the second half to force their first real chance.

Igor Drzik found space behind the home defence courtesy of a looping through ball from Peter Kiska, but after scampering into the area his eventual shot was sliced.

After Michal Gottwald had glanced a header inches over on the hour, Marcel Svrcek's 79th-minute dismissal for two bookable offences led to England quickly capitalising.

A Pennant free-kick from the left-hand edge of the area was knocked back in by skipper Gareth Barry for Jagielka to head home from three yards.

The win keeps England in the hunt, but they will have to markedly improve on this showing when they face both Portugal and Turkey early next season if they are to have any chance of reaching the play-off stages.

England U21: Evans, Parnaby, Jagielka, Clarke, Konchesky, Pennant, Prutton, Sidwell, Barry, Ameobi, Defoe. Subs: Johnson, Lee, Tonge, Ambrose, Bent, Zamora, Carlton Cole.

Slovakia U21: Postrk, Hricko, Demeter, Svrcek, Jez, Ancic, Drzik, Duris, Dolezaj, Gottwald, Kiska. Subs: Mucha, Sapara, Barmos, Sestak, Gasparik, Vavrik, Cech.

Referee: T Skjerven (Norway)