Having slain the dragon, St George moves on to a greater sudden death encounter on the battlefield. It is now deadly serious, no time for recovery from any slip up however slight.
It is all or nothing for England's Magpie men and their comrades. Now beyond their 30th birthday it is also probably the last tilt at World Cup immortality for Kieran Trippier and an injury hounded Callum Wilson. Gong or gone.
That should concentrate minds for many not only them when African champions Senegal take their mixture of flair and flourish into the Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday evening for the round of 16.
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Fail at some point and four years is an awful long wait for the next opportunity during which sky high levels must be retained against the challenge of younger and enthusiastic wannabes.
Trippier has already claimed a La Liga winner's medal as well as a gong as a finalist in the Euro Championships with England and a Champions League runners-up stripe at Spurs in 2018-19. But the solitary bauble in Wilson's trophy cabinet is as a second flight championship winner with Bournemouth in 2014-15.
While this may be a last World Cup hurrah for Trippier and Wilson they will harbour genuine hope of adding to their medal haul with a rejuvenated Newcastle of course.
Nick Pope is also eyeing Qatar success, if gained probably without actually getting on the pitch, but at 30 he is as a goalkeeper looking at a longer shelf life opening up further possibilities.
Trippier has already added three caps to his overall collection during this World Cup jamboree and Wilson two from the subs' bench which is nice given his long exile through repeated injury.
England may have filled their boots with nine goals against Iran and Wales but Senegal are a significant step up from those two of below average ability and USA locking them out provided a sobering thought.
Gareth Southgate is like marmite, you either love him or hate him. He is either a shrewd tactician who plays it clever eking out results or a belt and braces manager who fails to free his best talent in big games. What happens against Senegal will go a long way to determine how he is finally remembered.
Maybe Senegal are without their injured talisman Sadio Mane, he of Liverpool fame, but they do possess a liberal sprinkling of players who earn their corn in England.
Step forward match winning skipper Kalidou Koulibaly and his Chelsea team-mate, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, along with Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, a transfer target of the Mags no less who won the penalty and scored it when Ecuador had to be beaten.
Add to the mix Sheffield United's in-form box of tricks, winger Iliman Ndiaye, but forget all about Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye. He is suspended.
Talking of bookings, Senegal come to the table bursting with indignation and frustration which can only help to make them dangerous. They were eliminated from the last World Cup finals in Russia.... on yellow cards. Yeah, the number of bookings received!
After identical records at every level it came down to a game of cards and Japan went through because they had accumulated four to Senegal's six. How crazy was that. Imagine the inquest if England went out the same way.
However we want no further outrageous outcomes. Let it be England's organisation and professionalism overcoming African off-the-cuff inventiveness and dash. Because there can also be a splash of colour in regimentation.
I am working the Market Shaker in the Bigg Market as usual pre-match on Sunday at 6pm. My special guest this time will be Malcolm Macdonald who still holds the England record having scored five goals in a single international at Wembley. We walk in hope.
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