England 1-1 Ukraine: Frank Lampard saves England's blushes on night to forget for Roy Hodgson and Tom Cleverley

Roy Hodgson's men, behind from the 39th minute when Yevhen Konoplyanka beat Joe Hart with a fabulous long-range effort, had been heading for the first defeat of the former Fulham manager's reign until three minutes from the end when Yevhen Khacheridi handled from substitute Danny Welbeck.

It was a clear spot kick and the Chelsea midfielder stroked home with aplomb for his 27th international goal.

Oleg Blokhin's men had been looking to exact a measure of revenge for their defeat at the hands of England at Euro 2012.

Though, while England were terribly laboured at times, they did not deserve to lose and a point a piece was probably a fair result.

Even still, the home side, who were a shadow of the side that dismantled Moldova on Friday night, could have papered over the cracks with better finishing.

Manchester United youngster Tom Cleverley was the main culprit, the 23-year-old twice spurning clear-cut chances before he was hauled off by Hodgson for Welbeck on 62 minutes.

His first shocker came on 34 minutes with the game still goalless. Steven Gerrard, who would be sent off at the death for a second bookable offence, chipped an inviting ball over the Ukraine backline. Jermain Defoe and Cleverley both escaped the offside trap, with former heading across goal for the Manchester United man for what looked a routine finish. The net was gaping. Indeed, there was only one place where Cleverley could have put the ball to give away keeper Andrii Piatov a fighting chance, but the England man arrowed the ball straight at his opponent with flawless precision.

His profligacy was swiftly punished. With 39 minutes on the clock, England lost the ball cheaply inside their own half and Konoplyanka strode forward before unleashing a searing, swerving effort that beat England keeper Joe Hart all ends up.

Cleverley's nightmare continued just before half-time when he again spurned a terrific chance to score when Lampard found him unmarked with a crisp spin and cross from the right. The youngster, only 10 yards out, made poor contact with the ball and it trickled harmlessly wide. Admirably Cleverley didn't let his head drop and seconds later he saw a drive from inside the area clip a post.

The official attendance of 68,102 was surely inaccurate, but those who were at Wembley would have been expecting better things after the interval. They were to be disappointed.

Konoplyanka continued to torment England down the left flank, while Hodgson's team were short on imagination or indeed any guile whatsoever when they went forward.

Nonetheless the home side still had chances to level. On 69 minutes, right-back Glen Johnson cut inside from the right, skipping past two players as he went, before he drove through a sea of away shirts with a low crisp effort. England fans were on their feet, expecting to see the net bulging, but Piatov got down superbly to palm the ball behind to safety.

Hodgson, who had already flung on Welbeck for Cleverley, needed to change the make-up of his team and had exciting options, despite the inexperience on his bench. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who again dipped after the interval despite a promising start to the match, was swapped for Daniel Sturridge.

The England manager made his final switch on 73 minutes, replacing Leighton Baines for Chelsea's Ryan Bertrand, who claimed his second cap.

Welbeck struck a post late on and would also fall theatrically for a penalty appeal which Turkish official Cuneyt Cakir justly waved away with disdain. The referee had perhaps harshly ruled out a peach of a strike from Defoe early in the first half when the Tottenham man was penalised for sticking out an arm in the direction of Andrii Iarmolenko.

But the official applied the law to the letter — something he would continue to do throughout the match, with five Englishman and three Ukrainians going into his book.

Earlier Gerrard's first yellow could have well been red when the England skipper landed an elbow flush on the cheekbone of Ruslan Rotan, drawing blood. As it turned out, England were eventually deprived of his services but only at the last when he lunged in on Denys Garmash, earning his second booking.

It was no more than Gerrard deserved, while England, too, have some soul-searching to do.