Although this win enabled England to replace Northern Ireland at the top of the Home Championship table, there was little for their fans to enthuse over. It was a drab game with England, still struggling to find the right blend, looking solid enough at the back but lacking any real flair in midfield.

They opened brightly and after 19 minutes took the lead. Joe Baker, back in the side for the first time in five years, celebrated his recall by popping up to score after a flick-on by Alan Peacock. But just when one thought that England had earned themselves a nice platform to build on, they suddenly gave away an equalizer.

The usually reliable Bobby Moore inexplicably allowed Best to get the better of him and the Manchester United star gave Irvine the chance to level matters. That was a bitter blow for England but it must be said that Best was certainly the most thrilling player on view, always in the action, showing terrific skills and generally giving the England defence a torrid time.

Behind Best, the veteran Jimmy McIlroy showed he had lost none of his astute footballing brain and some of his passing was a delight to watch. For England, though, the midfield guile was lacking. Nobby Stiles worked his heart out as ever but his link with Bobby Charlton never worked and the pair failed to create enough of a supply for the front men.

Despite his well-taken goal, Baker looked ill at ease in his inside-forward role. He was unaccustomed to the position and it showed. By the time the half-time whistle blew, the crowd were beginning to turn against England and one could understand the frustrations of the fans as their side had not performed well. After the break, though, that same crowd played a big part in encouraging the home side to victory.

The one thing Alf Ramsey's team did not lack was strength and this, coupled with their better teamwork, helped to gradually wear the battling Irish down in the second half. After several promising attacks, they finally regained the lead in the 73rd minute when Peacock's spectacular overhead kick found the net.

Overall, it was a win that England just about deserved but the manager still had some way to go before he found the right blend to enable a real challenge to be mounted on the rest of the world.
  

Joe Baker, deputising for the hospitalized Greaves, put England in the lead in the nineteenth minute. The Irish equalised sixty seconds later when Willie Irvine turned a George Best centre through the legs of an embarrassed Gordon Banks. Persistent rain made the surface treacherous, and the Irish defenders were slithering around when Alan Peacock scored England's winner in the seventieth minute. Under gentle persuasion from Alf Ramsey - and at club level, Matt Busby -  Bobby Charlton was starting to specialize in more of a withdrawn role, and he was developing into the Great Conductor.
  

England, the reigning British Champions, had already drawn 0-0 with Wales at Ninian Park. Northern Ireland, who had suffered a humiliating defeat on their last visit, had subsequently failed to win a point in the previous year's British Championship but had already beaten Scotland 3-2 at Windsor Park. They were also battling with Switzerland for a place in the following year's World Cup.
Peacock put Joe Baker through to put England ahead but Moore's error a couple of minutes later enabled Best to supply Willie Irvine with the equaliser.
But England claimed their victory when Stiles's shot was blocked and Alan Peacock, with his back to goal, beat Jennings with an overhead kick.
England retained the British Championship by beating Scotland 4-3 at Hampden Park. Northern Ireland established the runners-up spot with a 4-1 win over Wales at Ninian Park but failed to return to England for the World Cup when they were unexpectedly held to a draw by Albania in Tirana.
George Best, who, three years later, was both Footballer of the Year and European Footballer of the Year, made his first appearance at Wembley.
     

Source Notes

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats
Norman Giller, Football Author
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CG