Montenegro edges Wales in qualifying

Montenegro edges Wales in qualifying

Published Sep. 3, 2010 9:11 p.m. ET

Mirko Vucinic gave Montenegro a win in its first ever European Championship qualifier, scoring via the post for a 1-0 victory over Wales.

Vucinic scored on a counter attack in the 30th minute, beating goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey with a hard shot off the right-hand post.

Vucinic had another opportunity in the 22nd, but missed a header.

Wales' goalkeeper saved his goal one minute later, in 23rd, by stopping Montenegrin midfielder Branko Boskovic's shot from 15 meters.

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Wales had several chances to equalize in the second half, but failed to use them.

After Miodrag Dzudovic fouled Craig Bellamy in 54th, Gareth Bale's free kick was just wide of the post. Ashley Williams missed two headers in 64th and 74th, and Bellamy had his effort saved on a counter attack in 84th.

Wales came close to an equalizer in 85th when Simon Church's header from a cross hit the crossbar.

Montenegro could have doubled the lead in 67th when Simon Vukcevic met a cross from Savo Pavicevic, but his header was off target.

Church thought he had equalized in the 88th, but he was ruled offside.

Montenegro became an independent footballing nation in 2006 but had already missed the draw for the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

Lineups:

Montenegro: Mladen Bozovic, Savo Pavicevic, Marko Basa, Milan Jovanovic, Simon Vukcevic (Fatos Beciraj, 88), Mirko Vucinic, Radomir Djalovic (Mitar Novakovic, 83), Branko Boskovic (Vladimir Bozovic, 74), Milorad Pekovic, Elsad Zverotic, Miodrag Dzudovic.

Wales: Wayne Hennessey, Sam Ricketts, Chris Gunter, David Edwards, James Collins (Craig Morgan, 75), Ashley Williams, David Vaughan, Craig Bellamy, Steve Morison (Simon Church, 78), Joe Ledley, Gareth Bale.
 

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