Barr strikes to send England through

England 1 Iceland 0England win 3-2 on aggregate

A late goal by the Charlton Athletic striker Amanda Barr took England through to a World Cup qualifying play-off final against France but, after missing early chances as they did in Monday's first leg, Hope Powell's team had to survive some anxious moments before clinching victory.

With the captain, Karen Walker, suspended and first-choice striker Kelly Smith missing because of injury, Barr was playing alongside the Doncaster Belles striker Jody Handley in the most inexperienced forward line fielded by Powell in her four years as national coach.

Barr and Karen Burke, the Leeds United winger, were guilty of dreadful misses in a first half which brought no danger at all to the England goal.

Iceland, needing a second-leg victory to go through to the play-off final, at last came out of their defensive shell in the second period and almost went ahead in the 57th minute.

The midfielder Edda Gardarsdottir hit a 20-yard shot that the Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Pauline Cope fumbled then gratefully grabbed as the loose ball came back off the post.

For a spell England were at full stretch at the back, but their defence, well marshalled by the stand-in captain, Faye White, stood firm. Midfield substitutions helped England to regain the initiative and, finally, get the decisive goal.

The Fulham winger Kristy Moore, a half-time replacement for Burke, provided an 80th-minute cross for Handley to strike a 15-yard shot against the far post. And it was Moore's shot, blocked by the Iceland goalkeeper Thora Helgadottir, which led to Barr side-footing in the rebound three minutes from time to assure England a place in the two-leg final.

Powell said: "There was a lot of nervous energy out there among the players – it's been a tense week for them because they realised what was ahead of them after the first leg. We missed early chances again, but we kept going for it and when we finally scored the relief and delight was immense among the players and on the bench.

"The girls will get a bit of a break now, but the first leg against France is only a few weeks away so we'll soon be preparing for a tough tie against a very good side."

ENGLAND (4-4-2): Cope (Charlton Athletic), Stoney (Charlton Athletic), White (Arsenal), Phillip (Fulham), Unitt (Fulham); Burke (Leeds United) (Kristy Moore, Fulham, h-t), Exley (Doncaster Belles), Britton (Leeds United) (Williams, Charlton Athletic, 69), Yankey (Fulham) (Smith, Leeds United, 81); Handley (Doncaster Belles), Barr (Charlton Athletic). Substitutes not used: Brown (University of Pittsburgh), Hunt (Doncaster Belles), Nwajei (Fulham), Pealling (Arsenal).

ICELAND (5-3-1-1): Helgadottir; Thorsteinsdottir, Gardarsdottir, M Olafsdottir, K Jonsdottir, Steinthorsdottir; G Jonsdottir, L Olafsdottir (Ingibergsdottir, 88), Hendriksdottir; Helgadottir; Faerseth. Substitutes not used: Agustsdottir, Gudrun Gunnarsdottir, Gudbjornsdottir, Thorgilsdottir.

Referee: I Jonsson (Sweden).

Attendance: 7,019