Pics: Reds duo aid England win

Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson played key roles as England reached the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Slovenia on Wednesday afternoon at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The Reds pair played the full 90 minutes as they helped Fabio Capello's men win their first game of the tournament and book a place in the next round to keep their South Africa dreams alive.

England will now face Germany on Sunday afternoon.

Despite pre-match rumours speculating that Gerrard would be deployed in a central role, Capello kept his captain on the left-side of midfield.

Wearing the all-red strip England kicked off and with Gerrard spraying the ball around nicely, they started in a very positive manner.

The Three Lions went close after nine minutes. A magnificent 45-yard pass from Johnson sent Rooney scampering away down the left, and his cross intended for Gerrard at the back post was just cleared for an unproductive corner.

Capello's side broke the deadlock after 22 minutes with a well worked goal when James Milner's superb right-wing cross found Jermaine Defoe, who smashed the ball home from close range.

It could easily have been 2-0 after 26 minutes. Another great cross from Milner was cut out and Frank Lampard fired the rebound over the bar.

A minute later Gerrard came close to making it 2-0 when his effort was spilled by the Slovenia 'keeper Samir Handanovic but managed to keep it out.

Johnson was booked after 47 minutes in controversial circumstances. His superb run down the right ended up with him being body checked. With everyone expecting a free-kick to be given just outside the box, the referee issued a yellow card to Liverpool's No.2.

Slovenia came so close to an equaliser after 67 minutes. Gareth Barry's poorly placed pass caught his own defence square, but heroic defending from Johnson and John Terry saved Capello's troops. They both made goal-saving blocks before Valter Birsa fired the third effort wide.

Gerrard and co will take a lot of confidence from their best display of the tournament so far and they will head into the last 16 dreaming of glory once again.

Here are a selection of photos from England's first win in South Africa.