Montenegro 2 England 2:ENGLAND ADVANCED to the Euro 2012 finals despite a red card for Wayne Rooney, who was sent off for the second time in his international career after kicking out at Miodrag Dzudovic in the 73rd minute.

It was the sort of spiteful petulance he was supposed to have outgrown and it can only appal the manager, Fabio Capello, particularly since Montenegro equalised at the very end through the substitute Andrija Delibasic. Rooney will miss one game and possibly two at the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Before he departed, this match in Podgrica had looked under the command of the visitors. Capello’s intentions were as unwavering as expected. This was a line-up whose composition made an attacking style virtually unavoidable. Darren Bent was at centre forward, with Rooney in close support, while there was a winger on each flank in Theo Walcott and Ashley Young. As if that did not suffice, the teenager Phil Jones made his debut at right back. It was a selection intended to crackle with energy, particularly since footballers should still be fresh so early in the campaign.

Montenegro, by contrast, omitted some players with a yellow card to their name so they would be available to take on Switzerland next Tuesday in Basel.

It was interesting that, by implication, the manager, Branko Brnovic, saw less prospect of a happy result here. Nonetheless, it would have been foolish to speak as if Montenegro had sent out a random assortment of footballers to challenge England.

Stefan Savic, for instance, is at Manchester City and the impressive Mirko Vucinic is with Juventus. The home crowd was intent as ever on making it seem the attendance was far above the actual capacity of 12,000.

Even so, they needed to muster all their reserves of morale as England not only opened with the attacking intent on which Capello’s scheme was founded but also took the lead in the 11th minute.

The excellence of Walcott’s cross exposed the defence and an untroubled Young headed home.

It was agreeable to have the opener but Capello, at that juncture, must have been satisfied as well with the orderliness and confidence of his players. The 4-2-3-1 formation is a contemporary cliche, yet its theoretical appeal is obvious.

England, before the interval, did indeed switch easily from defensive duties to attacking opportunities.

Even so, there was no chance of capitulation by Montenegro.

Indeed Gareth Barry was kept occupied in covering and in blocking the odd cross. The stadium was animated, too, when those deliveries led to an aerial challenge.

Even so, England were slicker and Montenegro’s reputation for durability suffered once more as the lead was increased after 31 minutes. Rooney picked out Young towards the left and the winger’s delivery was turned home by Bent, giving him four goals in his last five appearances for England.

England’s scheme for this match had been imposed at that juncture. Given the contrasting means of these nations, that ought not to have come as a surprise. Even if Brnovic had sent out his very best line-up it should not have been capable of matching England. In practice, Montenegro do usually rise to the occasion at home, but the intent shown by Capello’s men was marked.

That, even so, could not make them invulnerable, especially when they allowed a goal that lifted the opposition’s spirits.

On the verge of the interval, a delivery from Fatos Beqiraj was controlled on the chest of Elsad Zverotic and his drive found the net with a deflection off Gary Cahill.

Milan Jovanovic, a defender who had called this occasion his “game of the decade”, came off the bench. It was confirmation that Montenegro, finding themselves in contention, were ready to be bolder.

England came through a penalty claim unscathed although it did seem Jones had made contact with Vucinic in the 53rd minute.

The tone of the night was altered and the visitors made an adjustment of their own in the introduction of Stewart Downing for Young, who seemed to have hurt himself in a fall.

This was not an easy fixture for anyone to make an appearance. Montenegro had much more hope and purpose to their work. England did not seem intimidated but neither could they repeat the earlier ruthlessness. Capello had soon removed both of his scorers.

Bent, indeed, made way for a midfielder, Frank Lampard. While the Chelsea player is more than capable of scoring, it still seemed England had abandoned their policy of carrying the play to Montenegro.

The match seemed scrappier, but there was less to separate the sides and the anticipation rose in the crowd. There was a trace of fatigue, too.

Had there not been the prize of automatic qualification this might have been an informative exercise for Capello. With the early ease vanished, this was a test of there capacity to count on their own discipline. It was to the advantage that Montenegro are not noted particularly for verve.

Even so, severe harm was done with a red card for Rooney 17 minutes from the end after an alleged stamp on Dzudovic.

The Manchester United forward had been sent off before and this stamp left his team-mates facing an ordeal.

It was hardly the sort of development anticipated when the night had opened with such promise for the visitors.

MONTENEGRO: Mladen Bozovic, Vladimir Bozovic (Delibasic 79), Savic, Djudovic,Zverotic, Beciraj (Damjanovic 64), Pekovic, Vukcevic, Kascelan (Jovanovic 46), Jovetic,Vucinic. Subs not used: Blazic, Batak,Djalovic, Cetkovic. Booked: Jovanovic, Jovetic, Vucinic, Delibasic.

ENGLAND: Hart, Jones, Terry, Cahill, Cole,Walcott (Welbeck 76), Barry, Parker, Young (Downing 60), Bent (Lampard 64), Rooney. Subs not used: Carson, Jagielka, Baines,Zamora. Sent off: Rooney (73).

Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).