LIKE seafront amusements at the end of the season, the football

sideshows are fast closing down. In England, the cups have been handed

over and European qualification decided. The domestic campaign staggers

to a conclusion this Bank Holiday weekend with Leicester City meeting

Swindon Town today in a play-off final to decide which of them ascends

to the promised land of the Premier League.

For the national team, however, a climax is approaching in Norway on

Wednesday, and not for another week after that, when the Norwegians

visit Holland, will World Cup Group 2 shut down for summer. Unless

Saturday's performance during the fortuitous 1-1 draw in Poland is

improved upon, it will not be a soothing break for manager Graham

Taylor.

Suggesting to any Poles before the game that England would not

necessarily win by a hatful was construed as mere politeness. The home

supporters -- those who were not more concerned with throwing sticks and

stones at policemen -- were as surprised by England's passivity as their

own team's vibrant showing.

Had Poland lost, they would have forfeited much credibility as

contenders for one of the two qualifying places. Instead their football,

even without players like the injured Robert Warzycha and Montpellier's

Jacek Ziober, has confirmed the seriousness of that challenge, adding a

new dimension to the section.

The effect is that Norway, England, Holland, and Poland are separated

by only one point, having played 22 games among them and lost just one

(Holland's defeat in Oslo). If Poland remain the outsiders, it is

because of failure to clock up enough goals in victories over the two

minnows, Turkey and San Marino.

Although it is likely that trips to Oslo and Wembley in September will

cost them heavily, this is hardly the moment to belittle their chances

in comparison to those of England, who for much of Saturday night were

deeply unimpressive.

The flowing football that had left Holland two goals down at Wembley

was a distant memory and it took Taylor's half-time dressing down

followed by the introduction of Ian Wright to claw back a point, without

which England would this morning lie fourth in the table.

The removal of what was almost becoming a psychological block over

Wright's first international goal was one of few pluses which were

heavily outweighed by the minuses. Paul Ince's wild side resurfaced,

bringing a second yellow card and suspension; Paul Gascoigne, unable

again to influence the course of the match, also could miss the Norway

game; Chris Wood's discomfort with the new back pass rule almost led him

to concede one of the most embarrassing goals of recent years; above

all, perhaps, the lack of confidence apparent in Des Walker's play ever

since he forsook Nottingham for Genoa reached unthinkable proportions.

Whether England's supposedly most reliable defender goes down as the

unwitting scorer of the Polish goal or not, the alarming thing was how

much ground Adamchuk made up on him before they lunged at the ball so

carelessly mis-routed by John Barnes.

Meanwhile West Bromwich Albion bounced back into the first division

and left luckless Port Vale with heartbreak. Vale had amassed 89 points

only to lose out to Bolton Wanderers on the last day of the season.

Vale, who finished four points ahead of Albion in the final table,

were holding their own at Wembley before Peter Swan's red card after 59

minutes for a professional foul.

Andy Hunt opening the scoring seven minutes later. Man of the match

Nicky Reid then sent Albion's 41,000 fans into even greater raptures

when he fired home the second eight minutes to go. In the last minute,

striker Kevin Donovan wrapped it up for Ossie Ardiles and his men by

grabbing Albion's third to leave Vale crestfallen.