Rooney sent off but England reach Euro 2012

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP):England sealed qualification for the 2012 European Championship yesterday, despite letting slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Montenegro, and having striker Wayne Rooney sent off for kicking an opponent.

Rooney was given a straight red card in the 74th of the Group G game when he petulantly aimed a kick at Miodrag Dzudovic. His suspension, which will be a minimum of one match, will carry over into the Euro 2012 tournament.

Ashley Young opened the scoring in the 11th minute, heading in Theo Walcott's pinpoint cross from close range. Darren Bent made it 2-0 in the 31st when he tapped in Rooney's pass.

Montenegro pulled a goal back through Elsad Zverotic seconds before the break and after Rooney's sending off, substitute Andrija Delibasic snatched the equaliser in the dying seconds to clinch a place in the playoffs for the hosts.

England finished top of the group with 18 points from eight matches, with Montenegro second on 12 and Switzerland a distant third on eight points.

The goals started coming after some early pressure from England, that saw a shot from Walcott in the sixth minute just cleared by Mladen Bozovic.

As promised, Capello fielded an attacking line-up, with Bent partnering Rooney in attack, dismissing concerns over the news a day earlier that the England star's father and uncle had been arrested in an alleged betting scam.

The Montenegrins were given space to counterattack as England refused to sit back despite only needing a draw to qualify at the rain-soaked City Stadium in Podgorica.

scrambling

Simon Vukcevic almost caught out goalkeeper Joe Hart in the 62nd minute as they raced to the ball, with England defenders scrambling back.

Dejan Damjanovic threatened again in the 84th minute, but his acrobatic shot skimmed over Hart's crossbar.

Capello handed 19-year-old Phil Jones his first cap, using the Manchester United player to fill in for injured right back Chris Smalling.

He also kept Frank Lampard on the bench for 65 minutes, opting for Scott Parker and Gareth Barry in central midfield.

Montenegro, a country of 625,000 people, only started playing football as an independent nation in 2007, and players described the fixture against England as the biggest game in the country's history.

New coach Branko Brnovic had planned to rest three key players, worried about potential suspensions facing eight of his men on Friday, ahead of the country's final qualifier in Switzerland. But he brought on defender Milan Jovanovic at half-time to help repel England's attacks.

Jovanovic picked up a yellow card and will miss the Switzerland game on October 11.