Terry struck six minutes from time, after sub Andriy Shevchenko had cancelled out Peter Crouch's first-half opener for the home side.
England coach Fabio Capello was able to field the fit-again Rio Ferdinand in central defence, while Aaron Lennon started on the right side of midfield and Peter Crouch led the attack.
England started brightly and seven minutes in Steven Gerrard did well down the left side and played the ball in for Wayne Rooney to send a superb overhead kick narrowly over the top of the crossbar.
However, that proved to be the closest either side came to a goal as the half progressed, with neither goalkeeper seriously tested.
England, though, broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark as Peter Crouch took advantage of the first clear opening of the evening.
Frank Lampard's delivery from a corner was headed back across goal by erry and Crouch was in the right place to turn the ball home from close range.
Eight minutes before the break England had a scare, as Anatoliy Tymoshchuk fired in a piledriver from well over 30 yards and David James was fortunate to get his body behind the swerving effort.
Rooney threatened soon after the restart as he weaved his way past a couple of defenders and fizzed a shot a yard wide of target from 25 yards out.
Shortly before the hour mark England introduced David Beckham, but Wembley fell silent 16 minutes from time as the visitors equalised.
A free-kick into the area was not properly cleared and Shevchenko smacked the loose ball past James with a fine first-time finish.
That left Capello looking worried on the touchline, but his skipper Terry came to the rescue with five minutes left on the clock.
A Beckham free-kick from deep on the right was met by the head of Gerrard and Terry hooked the ball home from six yards out to ensure that his side's 100 per cent remained intact.
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