Kevin Keegan may have discovered the solution to one element of his left-sided problem.

Yet while Nick Barmby did all he could in Malta to play himself into the side to face Portugal in a week, it was hard to ignore the nagging fear that the England coach made a major error in allowing Gareth Barry just 27 minutes of international action before the start of Euro 2000.

Keegan lauded Everton star Barmby's inventiveness in setting up Emile Heskey's face-saving winner and conjuring other opportunities. 'Nick's given us another option there,' he said.

'He proved what he can do and he's made a real attempt to seize that spot which has been up for grabs.' Barmby was clearly delighted with recent events. 'I'm playing as well as I've ever done,' he said.

'I was shocked when I got the call-up although I know that players can come from nowhere in tournaments.'

But for all Barmby's impression, Keegan surely missed a trick by giving Barry a runout only as a very late substitute for the second game running.

In the 11 minutes he was on for, Barry demonstrated his poise and balance on the ball, delivering four pin-point crosses from the left flank and giving the natural width that cannot be provided by the predominantly right-sided Phil Neville.

As for Heskey, this time he produced a goal - just what he wanted to maintain the pressure on Michael Owen to become Alan Shearer's strike partner.

Having played positively against Ukraine last week, Heskey supplied England's winner to save their embarrassment against a Maltese team who should have been defeated far more convincingly.

He said: 'I've got that all-important first goal and I will be looking for more. Now I've got to see if what I did has got me in the team.

'There is a lot of competition among the strikers, but I think the manager has in the back of his mind the side he wants to play. I'm hoping I will be in. I think I've got a chance, and I'll be looking to take it.'

'Emile did well,' said Shearer, 'he had another good game when he came on, but, if I say I enjoy playing with him it only gets turned around to look as if I don't want to play with Michael. I can't win.'

Keegan won't show his hand just yet, but he is an open admirer of Heskey and suddenly the big man is right in the frame to start, or at the very least be used as an impact player coming off the bench.