ROO IDIOT ... Wayne Rooney sees red as England slump from a 2-0 lead to a 2-2 draw
ENGLAND limped into the Euro 2012 finals after Wayne Rooney's red card helped an incredible Montenegro comeback.
Reckless Rooney will be banned for at least the Three Lions' tournament opener next year after he lashed out at Miodrag Dzudovic in the 73rd minute.
Then Andrija Delibasic's last-gasp leveller capped a brilliant Montenegro revival that shocked Fabio Capello.
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English fans get in the party mood ahead of the game
First-half menace Ashley Young had booked his own first-class ticket to the finals by nodding England in front before he teed up Darren Bent for a simple second.
But Elsad Zverotic's deflected goal just before the break gave the hosts hope – which soared to a rousing finale once Rooney ridiculously kicked out.
Delibasic rose highest to cap a fightback that failed to stop Capello's men succeeding where previous boss Steve McClaren had failed so notoriously four years ago – clinching qualification on a rainy night.
Yet England's instant tempo had put them in command early on, led at first by Young's twisting runs down the left.
A string of corners, all fizzed into the home box, confirmed the Three Lions were far hungrier than Montenegro.
And Theo Walcott snapped in a 20-yard volley that keeper Mladen Bozovic parried out untidily.
Nonetheless, Mirko Vucinic promptly conjured the deftest footwork of the first period, weaving to the left byline in a rare moment of danger for England's defence.
But the Three Lions' night appeared to become almost a stroll once they went in front on 10 minutes.
Rooney picked up a half-clearance just outside the area, feeding Walcott on the right for a precise cross nodded in with ease by Young at the backpost
Ball-winners Gareth Barry and especially Scott Parker seemingly ensured Montenegro were never going to find the quantity or quality of possession needed to seriously test visiting keeper Joe Hart.
And England's busy, effective, club-style 4-4-2 football kept them on top for the first half-hour.
Gradually, though, complacency drifted into their play, Vladimir Bozovic twice threatening down the left as the Three Lions' passing and energy became sluggish.
That frustration, though, seemed to be killed in the 31st minute when Capello's side doubled their lead.
Once again the spark was a simple but intelligent Rooney pass, this time slipping Young into the left of the area for a decent shooting opportunity. Young, however, chose an even better option – a slotted cross for Bent to walk in.
Yet, just as the contest sagged again, Montenegro struck seconds before the interval. Fatos Begiraj clipped the ball in for Zverotic to spin sharply and fire a low volley that ricocheted off Gary Cahill into the bottom corner.
And soon after the break Begiraj warned the Three Lions once more to stop dozing when he drill a left-footer that Hart kept out at full-stretch.
Phil Jones was mightily relieved not to concede a penalty when his ungainly sliding challenge got at least as much of the goal-bound Stevan Jovetic as it did of the ball.
And by now England were struggling to match Montenegro's new-found passion.
These sudden nerves were underlined when Ashley Cole's panicky defending across the edge of his area let in Begiraj for a chance he flashed wide.
Stewart Downing and Frank Lampard came on for Young and Bent respectively as England briefly regained a touch of their composure.
But that all disappeared when Rooney picked up his second dismissal for England – a petulant kick at the heels of his marker Miodrag Dzudovic.
Capello soon replaced Walcott with Danny Welbeck for the final quarter of an hour.
And Downing thumped a volley high from beyond the far post on 82 minutes.
But mostly the Three Lions were happy to cling on.
Hart brilliantly tipped away a bobbling shot.
But England's alarm was instantly reignited when Jovetic streaked through and tumbled under John Terry's challenge, only for referee Wolfgang Stark to rightly book the Montenegro flier amid heated England protests.
Moments later, though, Delibasic climbed at the far post to nod the leveller Montenegro had long been threatening, and one which sent them wild, as it boosts their own qualification hopes
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