Any shot at a draw ended when Gerrard beat Hislop with a hard, left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area in the final moments. Gerrard had scored two goals and a penalty kick against Hislop in the FA Cup final, which Liverpool won in a shootout over West Ham on May 13.

"As the minutes tick by and the game goes on, your hopes build and you get more and more excited," Trinidad coach Leo Beenhakker said. "Our heads dropped after that and I wasn't surprised to see England score the second."

Trinidad and Tobago has one point after two games, and still has a slim chance to advance to the second round if it can beat Paraguay next Tuesday and England beats Sweden. England can clinch first place with a tie against the Swedes.

Trinidad's defensive strategy frustrated the English and quieted the crowd that had been singing and cheering loudly at the start of the game.

It was Rooney's entrance in the 58th minute that turned the tide. The 20-year-old forward broke a bone in his right foot on April 29 playing for Manchester United and wasn't expected back this soon.

But he was cleared to play by doctors earlier in the day, and combined with Lennon to bring more energy to England. The early struggles prompted the fans to chant Rooney's name in the first half, and they broke into a loud standing ovation when he came on in place of Owen.

"The fans want to see him play and so do we," Beckham said. "Considering he's been out for six to seven weeks, he changed the game a little bit. Wayne said he felt fine, so that's the main thing.

Owen missed one of England's first-half opportunities when he shot wide all alone in the middle of the box off a rebound in the sixth minute. Crouch also blew some early chances, including one rushed shot all alone in the middle of the box that went well wide.