THREE points may have been exactly what England Under-21s boss David Platt had wished for on his birthday last night, but he will not have been happy with the way they were achieved at the Stadium of Light.

Platt turned 37 yesterday and he will wake up this morning relieved that his side have kept their faint hopes of qualifying for the European Championships alive by overcoming Slovakia 2-0.

Only a first half own goal from Peter Dolezaj seperated the two teams until Sheffield United's Phil Jagielka added a late second after Slovakia were reduced to ten men with the dismissal of Marcel Svrcek.

The victory means England are now six points behind Group Seven leaders Turkey and just two behind second-placed Portugal with a game in hand.

Platt's men now have a break until September when they face minnows Macedonia and then the fun will start all over again when they play the Portuguese before finishing the campaign with a daunting trip to Turkey.

Platt, as expected, fielded two North-East players in his starting line-up for the must-win clash - but there was not even a minute's action for Newcastle's Darren Ambrose or a place on the bench for Michael Chopra.

Middlesbrough full-back Stuart Parnaby earned his third cap in front of his watching father Dave, youth team coach at Boro, and Newcastle's Shola Ameobi was hoping to score the goals that would help make up ground on Group Seven leaders Turkey.

The Turks beat Macedonia 3-0 earlier in the day to extend the lead over Platt's men to nine points.

The news clearly had an effect on England and within nine minutes they had fashioned an opening through skipper Gareth Barry.

The Aston Villa man, who was demoted from the senior squad earlier in the week, created space for himself just inside the box - but his shot with the outside of his left foot curled high and wide past the Slovakian goal.

Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant and his former Gunners teammate Steven Sidwell, now with Reading, were at the centre of most of the hosts' best play.

And Sidwell, dictating play in the centre of ther pitch, played his part in an effort which Parnaby should have scored from.

After playing a neat one-two with Sidwell, the young Boro star's clever first touch got him clear of the Slovakian rearguard. However, Parnaby's effort did not trouble goalkeeper Marian Postrk and the shot flew wide.

Ameobi had struggled to stamp his authority on the early exchanges, but then suddenly the gangly striker found his feet.

And it was the giant Magpies front man who drew the first save of the match from Postrk.

The visitors' No 1 somehow got down to stop a low long range left foot shot from Ameobi after some good work involving Southampton's David Prutton.

The sparce crowd inside the Stadium of Light suddenly sensed a feeling that the first goal was on its way, and five minutes before half-time it arrived.

Ameobi played a good pass into Pennant's path and the former Notts County man's burst into the box, caught the Slovakians off guard and unfortunate defender Dolezaj turned Pennant's cross beyond his own keeper.

The second goal was a long time in coming for the Wearside crowd.

The ever dangerous Pennant's deep cross from a free-kick on the left was scuffed back across goal by Barry and headed over the line by defender Jagielka - his first for his country on only his second appearance