ENGLAND 2 - PORTUGAL 1
England's hopes in the forthcoming World Cup series in Stockholm - sent sky-high by their recent overwhelming defeat of Scotland - slumped again when the national team just managed to scrape home a 2-1 victory over Portugal at Wembley Stadium.

Watched by a crowd of 72,000, England struggled to hold the fast-moving Portuguese team who have not even qualified to join the elite of the international soccer world in Stockholm.

The speed and skill of the Portuguese players tore repeated holes in the England defence in the first half and the home forwards played the first 45 minutes with one eye on their own shaky defence. All the Portuguese chances come in the first half, and, but for an amazing series of misfires by centre-forward Jose Augusto, the visitors would have been well ahead by half-time.

Unhappy Jose missed a hat-trick of simple tap-in chances after the Portuguese forwards had burst through time after time. One goalkeeper Hopkinson fell backwards and saved the shot with the soul of his boot. Later, when Jose lobbed toward on empty net, the ball hit defender Howe in the face.

Here of the evening for England was Manchester United forward, Robby Charlton. Always dangerous in the goal area, he whipped in a powerful first-time shot in the 20th minute of the first-half to give the home team the lead.

Still fighting to break through, Portugal invoked the substitute law on the 44th minute when the unlucky Jose Augusto limped off the field and his place was taken by veteran Jose Travacos - the 32 year-old Portuguese international star.

The visitors levelled the score after 52 minutes when a poor clearance by Langley - suffering from a suspected broken toe- went straight to Carlos Duarte who fired the ball home with Popkinson wall beaten. The winning goal came just ten minutes later when a neat move between Brian Douglas, Johnny Derek Kevan resulted in the ball being pushed out to Charlton. From 20 years-out, the England forward sl??? home a shot that almost burst through the Portuguese net.

The final disappointment for England came in the 72nd minute when Tom Finney was fouled in the area. Defender Jim Langley took the kick, and, with goalkeeper Carlos Gomez going the wrong way, his shot hit the post.

ENGLAND: Hopkinson (Bolton); Howe (West Bromwich Albion), Langley (Fulham), Clayton (Blackburn), Wright (Wolverhamton), Slater (Wolverhamton), Douglas (Blackburn), Carlton (Manchester United), Kevan (West Bromwich Albion), Haynes (Fulham), Finney (Preston).

PORTUGAL: Gomes, Mendes, Martins, Grace, Arcenjo, Torres, Duarte, Coluna, Augusto, Rocha, De Silva.

1. Hopkinson, 2 Howe, 3 Langley, 4 Clayton, 5 Wright, 6 Slater, 7 Douglas, 8 Charlton, 9 Keven, 10 Haynes, 11 Finney.

1. Gomes, 2 Mendes, 3 Martins, 4 Torres, 5 Arcenjo, 6 Grace, 7 De Silva, 8. Coluna, 9 Augusto, 10 Rocha, 11 Duarte.