England's chances of visiting Belgium and the Netherlands next summer slipped another notch last night after this pallid draw. On this performance the only low countries Kevin Keegan is likely to see in the near future are those in the FIFA world rankings.
The nation's eternal optimist was missing a host of key players here, and the lack of invention, balance and class in his team was as painful to behold as it was last Saturday against Sweden.
Bulgaria are no Sweden. They have all but given up hopes of qualifying for the finals themselves and they were reduced to 10 men when the substitute Martin Petrov was sent off for his second yellow card on 59 minutes.
But still England struggled to create many worthwhile openings, could easily have conceded more than one goal and trudged off the field with heads bowed and hearts heavy.
England played encouragingly in glimpses in the first half, though with so many unacquainted faces on view, they suffered a lack of instinctive understanding in many of their passing movements.
Shearer worked courageously to hold up the ball and supply headed flick-ons in the face of a tenacious marker in Rossen Kirilov, but the intended beneficiary, Robbie Fowler, was largely anonymous.
Teddy Sheringham spent as much time trying to help David Batty man central midfield as in his designated position in the hole behind the strikers and was largely ineffective. Jamie Redknapp tried hard in central midfield but never really imposed himself on the game.
The Bulgarians packed more punch going forward and the England defence was regularly unnerved by the home team's willingness to run at them or play balls over the top.
Young Jonathon Woodgate made an encouraging debut, Michael Gray provided some welcome width on the left and Gareth Southgate made an impressive return to the side as Sol Campbell continued his recent habit of making silly mistakes.
It was the defender's more characteristic practice of making forceful forward runs that brought England their goal. He burst down the left and won a throw-in, which he quickly took to Gray. The wing back hoisted a high ball into the Bulgarian area that Kirilov mis-headed as he tried to clear and Shearer pounced to direct the ball wide of Dimitar Ivankov.
But England and Shearer's relief was short-lived, for less than three minutes later Bulgaria equalised. Hristo Stoichkov, playing the final home international of his eventful career, fired in a free-kick from the right to the far post, where the defender Georgi Markov got in ahead of Sheringham to score with a close-range stooping header.
After that, and despite their greater possession and extra player, England struggled to cause Ivankov many problems.
Redknapp beat the goalkeeper direct from a free-kick, but the referee had not blown for the kick to be taken. Otherwise the closest England came to finding a winner was on 60 minutes, when Sheringham nodded on Campbell's free-kick and Shearer just headed wide, then 18 minutes from time, when Batty's 25-yard shot forced Ivankov to save smartly down by a post.
Bulgaria packed more punch up front even when they were reduced to 10 men. On 38 minutes great work by Stoichkov down the left climaxed with a fierce ball across the face of the England goal that Milen Petkov, unmarked on the far post, failed to convert.
Four minutes into the second half the Bulgarians went close again when Radostin Kishishev dispossessed Gray for the second time in a minute and fed Martin Petkov, who burst into the England area past Woodgate, who got away with holding his shirt.
Bulgaria: Ivankov, Kichichev, Zagorchich, Stoilov, Markov, Kirilov, S Petrov, Stoichkov (Batchev 72), Yovov (M Petrov 46), M Petrov, Iliev (Borimirov 60). Subs Not Used: Gospodinov, Grouev, Stoianov, I Petkov. Sent Off: M Petrov (58). Booked: Iliev, M Petrov. Goals: Markov 18.
England: Seaman, Gray, Neville, Southgate, Campbell, Woodgate (Parlour 63), Redknapp, Batty, Sheringham, Shearer, Fowler (Heskey 80). Subs Not Used: Ferdinand, Walker, Sherwood, Dyer, Cole. Booked: Fowler, Southgate, Sheringham, Campbell. Goals: Shearer 15. Attendance: 22,000.
Referee: M Van Der Ende (Holland).
