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ENGLAND got what they deserved at Wembley tonight:- a meagre point, and the jeers of the Wembley crowd in their ears, as they were held to a goalless draw by a resolute Montenegro, who maintained the pace at the top of Group G.
 

Shorn of their goalscoring talisman Mirko Vucinic, the red shirted visitors set out to frustrate England, like a big Routemaster bus parked in their own goalmouth.
Vucinic who popped up for the winner in Montenegro's 1-0 win over Switzerland the previous Friday, and popped his shorts on his head in celebration, was rumoured to be absent at Wembley, because the shorts were still stuck on his head; it turned out it was a groin strain.

Not that the Roma striker would have made much difference to their attack, as keeper Joe Hart had next to nothing to do for the entire game.
Montenegro came for a point, but they almost grabbed all three, when a dipping volley from Milan Jovanovic (no, not the Liverpool one) thundered against the cross bar on 83 minutes. Minutes earlier, the same player clearly controlled the ball with his arm, in his side's penalty area,  but England's desperate appeals for a penalty, were waved away.
 

For England, the whole night was one of frustration, and one to forget. It was obvious, one goal would be enough for victory, but one goal was too much to find.
Missing the suspended James Milner, and a host of attacking talent, including Frank Lampard, Jermaine Defoe, Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon, England should still have overcome the newest side in FIFA's so-called 'football family'.
But, Montenegro showed glimpses of why they had catapulted from 199 to 40 in the rankings (even though they are still behind Burkina Faso), and why they had yet to concede a goal in their three previous group games.
Instead, England picked up more yellow cards, then they had decent shots on target; there was even a booking for 33 year old debutant Kevin Davies.
The Bolton striker - a late replacement for the ineffective Peter Crouch - was harshly penalised for a tame challenge. His late cameo proved he's not an international footballer - merely a competent Premier League one. But more pertinently, it also showed the dearth of attacking options that Fabio Capello is left with, when the likes of Defoe and even Darren Bent are unavailable.
 

The first thirty minutes of the match was played at a funereal pace, and the atmosphere was such that you could hear the yawns.
Crouch wasted two half decent chances, and Adam Johnson sent a rasping drive just wide of the right hand post, but other than that, the first half was just as bad as England's showing in the World Cup against Algeria.
Johnson got the ball into the visitor's goal area on occasion, but keeper Mladen Bozivic was equal to everything.

The confident Videoton keeper came into the game more and more in the second half, as England stepped up a gear (to third). 
He got down bravely to thwart the gangling Crouch, and made a top class save from Wayne Rooney's snap shot, and saved again to deny Steven Gerrard's follow up. 

England had looked to the Liverpool man for inspiration: It was Gerrard who had single handedly got England the late friendly win over Hungary back in August, though this time, he couldn't make the vital difference.
No one could, and two points were squandered.
There was little fluididity to England's play. Gareth Barry was utterly abysmal in midfield, while Glen Johnson and Ashley Young were the worst of a bad bunch. Shaun Wright Philips (on for Young) and Ashley Cole marauded down England's left hand side in search of a late winner,  but whenever they drilled in a teasing goalmouth cross, there was either no one there, or the ball was hoofed away by the industrial strength Montenegro defence.
 
So for England, is this just one of those nights, or is it a return to the dark days of umbrella carrier Steve McClaren's reign?

Back in qualification for Euro 2008, Macedonia managed a Wembley goalless draw too, and we all know what happened at the end of the group stages then!

But, this time round, England should prevail and qualify for the finals in Poland/Ukraine.
They started the group stages in style with two emphatic wins. But here, they missed a trick.
But, with the injured players poised to return in time for the next group game on March 25th (a tricky match away against Wales), there is enough for the Three Lions to bounce back. And they will need to bounce back, as right now, they don't top the group - Montenegro do, and England still have to go there for the return fixture.
But, to tonight; a highly  frustrating one for England. Though at least we didn't get a Mexican wave!

Man of the Match: No one!