Graphic: Rooney's moment of madness

They had vowed to emulate the heroics of their rugby union counterparts, but Steve McClaren and his England football team were left facing meltdown last night as their European Championship qualifying campaign was hit by four minutes of madness in Moscow.

Deservedly leading 1-0 through Wayne Rooney’s spectacular first-half goal, England were on course to earn a famous victory at the Luzhniki Stadium and secure qualification for next summer’s finals in Switzerland and Austria with a match to spare. But then a series of lapses of concentration – starting with what McClaren called a “disgraceful” penalty award against Rooney for a foul that appeared to be committed outside the 18-yard area – turned the game on its head. Russia went on to win 2-1, leaving them as overwhelming favourites to qualify alongside Croatia from group E.

Having been 21 minutes away from booking their place, England know that even victory over Croatia in their final group game, at Wembley on November 21, will not be enough if Russia win their two remaining games, away to Israel and Andorra.

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BACKGROUND

• England's hopes take a dive

• Four minutes of madness cost England dear

• Vultures circle over McClaren’s regime

• Failure to learn from mistakes of Euro 2004

BACKGROUND

• How England rated

• Praying for good news from Holy Land

• Rolling out green carpet proves immaterial

• Russia reaps rewards of Abramovich’s affections

Related Links

• Vultures circle over McClaren’s regime

• Failure to learn from mistakes of Euro 2004

• How England rated

Conspiracy theorists will point to strong links between the power-brokers of Israeli and Russian football, but McClaren cannot afford to think in such terms as he looks to raise the spirits of his players – and his own – before next month’s match against Croatia and the friendly away to Austria that precedes it.

Failure to reach next summer’s finals would almost certainly spell the end of McClaren’s reign as head coach, although the former Middles-brough manager was putting on a brave face last night as he insisted that his team would recover from a blow that left his players devastated.

“It’s out of our hands,” McClaren said after seeing Roman Pavlyuchenko’s penalty and close-range strike allow Russia to turn defeat into victory. “Ninety minutes ago it was in our hands and now it’s not. But Russia have to go to Israel and win the game, so the pressure is on them to do that. We have to wait for that result and then do our bit. The group is over 12 games, not 11 or 10.

“The players are devastated but we will stick together. It’s out of our hands, but it’s not over. We will have to wait.”

Guus Hiddink, the Russia coach, suggested that McClaren had paid the price for waiting last night, claiming that England had failed to adjust to his tactical reshuffle at the start of the second half. Hiddink, who was considered for the England job before taking charge of Russia last year, said that he had identified Joleon Lescott as a weak link at left back and that McClaren’s defence was vulnerable when put under intense pressure in the second half.

Ultimately that pressure told, with Pavlyuchenko stroking home a penalty in the 69th minute after Rooney’s ill-judged challenge on Konstantin Zyrianov and then converting a rebound four minutes later after Paul Robinson failed to hold Alexei Berezutsky’s shot.

McClaren rejected claims that he had been outwitted, saying that Russia had profited from a “disgraceful” penalty decision and a sudden, brief lapse of concentration in the England back four.

“It was a game we were in control of and never looked in any danger,” the head coach said. “I think everyone will agree that [the foul by Rooney for] the penalty was outside the box. That decision has cost us. I can’t fault the players, their attitude and what they did in the game.

“Yes, we were under pressure, but we were defending magnificently. We didn’t allow them a shot on goal. We were in a winning position and we’ve ended up losing. Four or five minutes of madness have cost us.”

McClaren reacted to Russia’s two goals by making a triple substitution, sending on Frank Lampard, Stewart Downing and Peter Crouch, but although Rooney came close to scoring a second goal in the closing minutes, there was to be no way back.

McClaren insisted that he had no regrets about his tactics or about waiting until Russia had scored twice before making his changes.

It would have been very different had Steven Gerrard, captain in the absence of the injured John Terry, not missed a clear opportunity when left unmarked at the far post from Gareth Barry’s free kick early in the second half.

Aware that he could have put England 2-0 ahead, Gerrard bemoaned the fact that he had “too much time” to think about the chance, shooting tamely wide.

Time is not a luxury at McClaren’s disposal. Indeed, after a torrid night that has taken England’s qualification campaign out of their hands, the head coach may fear that his time is running out.