England struggle to breakdown Montenegro

Both teams retain their unbeaten records in Group G after England and Montenegro played out a scoreless draw at Wembley, but overall it was a disappointing performance from the home side.

Montenegro set out their stall to steal a point and spent most of the game on the defensive but could have embarrassed their hosts with just seven minutes remaining when Jovanovic smashed a shot against the cross bar.

Fabio Capello will point to the 77th minute when the same player clearly handled in the penalty area but the officials waved play-on.

But overall England, apart from odd moments in the second half, rarely stretched the visitor’s who were not averse to collecting yellow cards to make their point.

Within the first two minutes Peter Crouch just failed to get on the end of a Steven Gerrard through ball and that was as near as England came to breaking the deadlock in a flat opening first half.

With Capello having to play almost a third choice selection with all the injuries, at times the players looked to be a team of strangers.

Adam Johnson and Ashley Young started off promisingly on their respective wings but as the half wore on Montenegro looked more comfortable defending in depth as England ran out of ideas.

Crouch had a couple of knock-downs for Wayne Rooney which promised more than they delivered and then on the stroke of 45 minutes Glen Johnson broke into the penalty area and found Rooney who could only shoot weakly at the visitor’s keeper Bozovic.

Gerrard was trying make things happen in the middle of the field but was let down by Gareth Barry who was wasteful in possession.

Montenegro were content to invite England to attack and break them down.

The second period was marginally better as the Three lions increased the tempo but still struggled to break down an obdurate Montenegro rearguard.

Gerrard was at the heart of all England’s best moves and created chances for Rooney and Kevin Davies.

The visitor’s keeper made a fine double save from Rooney and Gerrard but overall was rarely tested as England’s old failings of a lack of guile to unlock mass defences surfaced again.

The crowds jeers at the final whistle summed up the whole night.

England coach Fabio Capello on his side's stalemate against Montenegro: "We created four or five chances to score - but their keeper saved every time.

“It is not easy to play against a team that plays like Montenegro because they defended well and deep, always waiting always close to their box. We created chances - they shot once at goal, and hit the bar.”

Referee: Manuel Grafe (Germany)

Venue: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 73,451

ENGLAND: Hart, Glen Johnson, Ferdinand, Lescott, Ashley Cole, Adam Johnson, Gerrard, Barry, Young, Rooney, Crouch. Subs: Foster, Warnock, Cahill, Wright-Phillips, Wilshere, Downing, Davies.

MONTENEGRO: Mladen Bozovic, Basa, Jovanovic, Djudovic, Savic, Vukcevic, Zverotic, Boskovic, Novakovic, Pekovic, Djalovic. Subs: Blazic, Batak, Kascelan, Beciraj, Tomasevic, Pejovic, Delibasic.