Grant Hanley was left to rue Scotland’s missed chances as they were outdone at Wembley.

The strapping centre-half blazed a glorious header over the bar to level the game in the first half, while Leigh Griffiths, James Forrest and Robert Snodgrass also should have done better with the hosts still just one goal to the good.

In the end they were punished for their profligacy as England ran out 3-0 winners, a point Hanley could not ignore afterwards as he cursed his own finishing.

“It’s the chances we missed that have cost us the game,” he said. “They took their chances and have won the game 3-0.

“I just don’t think it was a 3-0. I’ve missed a chance that I should have scored in the first half and we’d a few other really good chances with wee James and Snoddy [Snodgrass] in the second half. If we put them away it’s a different story. I can’t really remember them having that many.

“I was saying to big Christophe there that we felt fairly comfortable – it didn’t feel like they getting in behind us.

“Obviously it’s a different story when they are 3-0 up. They were keeping the ball and looking confident.

“We can say we’re unlucky but at the end of the day it comes down to the chances we missed.

“If my header goes in we would definitely be talking about a different story.

“I’ve got to score that. That’s the bottom line. Or at least hit the target. Although they had their goal they were already rattled at that point. If that goes in it’s a different game.”

Meanwhile, England caretaker boss Gareth Southgate refused to speculate on his own future as he kept England’s unbeaten run in Group F going.

In his third game in charge since Sam Allardyce’s exit, Southgate was delighted with the performance shown by his team who now rise to the top of the section.

He now has just one fixture left of his temporary tenure – a friendly next week against Spain – but, like his Scottish counterpart Gordon Strachan, was reluctant to dwell too much on his own future, instead choosing to applaud the efforts of his charges.

“Tonight is down to the players,” he said. “[What happens next] is not my decision. I’m really pleased I was giving the task of picking the job up in a very difficult situation for everybody and I feel that we have prepared the team really well. I’ve enjoyed that.

"I’ve enjoyed working with them.”