Patience was the key behind England's hard-fought 1-0 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina, said head coach Mark Sampson.
The Lionesses faced a side ranked 72nd in the world at Bristol City's Ashton Gate in a Euro 2017 qualifier - England's first home match since finishing third at the World Cup in the summer.
Visiting boss Samira Hulma set her side up in two banks of five with the aim of frustrating their hosts.
England 1-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
UEFA Women's Euro 2017
Group 7 qualifier
Sunday 29 November 2015
Ashton Gate, Bristol City FC
And, aided by the swirling wind and rain, that plan largely worked - until Jill Scott emerged from the bench to head a 69th-minute winner.
Sampson said: "It was a tough day for us. The conditions were horrific - the worst type of conditions to play a football match in.
"But huge credit must go to the team. They stuck to the game plan and were patient. We kept probing and in the end we got the goal which we needed to get for the three points.
"And credit to the Bosnian team. I'm not sure that's the type of football we want to see, but in terms of their passion and their commitment to defend their goal; I thought they were exceptional in that area."
He continued: "They are hard, those types of games. I'm not sure you could see the goal we were attacking at one point, the way the wind and the rain and the hail was coming down.
Jess Clarke in action at Ashton Gate
"But we stayed patient and created lots of chances. It could have been six or seven but in the end we've had to settle for one. It's another clean sheet, three more points on the board and some.more young players have got some big international experience under their belts."
The win leaves England on six points from two games in qualifying Group 7 and caps a memorable year.
They went to Canada as underdogs but came away with the bronze medal, beating European champions Germany for the first time ever in the third-place match.
"It has been a fun year for the Lionesses. There have been some low points as well but some massive highs. In 10 years' time I think we'll look back on 2015 as a groundbreaking year, not just on the field but off it as well," added the former Bristol Academy boss.
"It gives us a determination now. We want to keep filling stadiums, we want to keep winning matches and we want to keep on inspiring the next generation of players and supporters.
"I'd like to say a huge thank you to the players and the staff for all the hard work they have put in to make this year such a memorable one.
"In 50 years from now, when we sit down with our family and friends, we will talk about 2015, everything that has gone on and the memories we have shared together and to [make those memories possible] you have to work hard, so a huge thank you from me."
