Heskey won the free-kick, tempting Khalid Boulahrouz into a rash challenge, and the former Liverpool striker then got to Josip Skoko's set-piece delivery before Drogba.
It barely made any difference, before England were handed a lifeline in the shape of a penalty by the eagle-eyed assistant referee, who spotted Josip Simunic tugging back Defoe.
In the former Yugoslavia, the late strongman Josip Broz Tito tried to minimize and loosen communal and religious loyalties in a bid to forge a wider sense of nationhood.
Liverpool eventually broke free of their second half shackles and Wigan had Josip Skoko to thank when he threw himself at a Dirk Kuyt shot from 12 yards with Kirkland committed.
His international career came to a controversial end when he failed to dismiss Croatia defender Josip Simunic after showing him a second yellow card in the game against Australia, and only sent him off after showing him a third.