Cyprus 2 Montenegro 2: CYPRUS WERE held to a draw by Montenegro in a Group Eight qualifier on Saturday after second-half substitute Dejan Damjanovic struck twice for the visitors.
Cyprus opened the scoring with a header by Michael Konstantinou in the 13th minute and made it 2-0 from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time through Chrysostomos Michail. But Damjanovic scored after a scramble outside the Cypriots’ goal in the 65th minute and equalised 12 minutes later.
Montenegro captain Mirko Vucinic should have secured all three points in the 75th minute but his penalty bounced off goalkeeper Michael Morphis. Both teams continue to struggle near the foot of the group with Cyprus on five points and Montenegro on four.
CYPRUS: Georgallides (Morphis 34), Christou, Charalambous, Nicolau, Garpozis (Satsias 69), Elia, Makridis, Aloneftis, Mihail, Okkas, Konstantinou. Booked: Makridis, Okkas, Aloneftis, Makridis. Goals: Makridis 14, Mihail 45 pen.
MONTENEGRO: Poleksic, Dzudovic, Pavicevic, Pejovic (Fatic 86), Batak, Tanasijevic, Kascelan, Novakovic (Zverotic 19), Drincic (Damjanovic 45), Vucinic, Goran Vujovic. Booked: Pavicevic, Kascelan, Dzudovic, Zverotic. Goals: Damjanovic 65, 79.
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo(Spain).
Italy 3 Northern Ireland 0
WORLD CHAMPIONS Italy crushed Northern Ireland in a friendly on Saturday thanks to fine maiden international goals by forwards Giuseppe Rossi, Pasquale Foggia and Sergio Pellissier.
Rossi struck in the 20th minute of the match in Pisa, in which both nations fielded experimental sides with lots of debutants, driving in a splendid left-footed shot from outside the box.
Lazio’s Foggia dribbled past a marker and coolly chipped in eight minutes into the second half before fellow substitute Pellissier wrapped things up shortly after coming off the bench for his debut.
Jonathan Tuffey saved a penalty from Giampaolo Pazzini with the help of the post for the Irish, who posed little threat, with the score at 2-0.
ITALY: Marchetti, Santon, Gamberini, Legrottaglie, Grosso (Palombo 46), D'Agostino (Galloppa 74), Gattuso (Dossena 46), Montolivo (Foggia 47), Mascara (Brighi 47), Pazzini (Pellissier 62), Rossi. Subs Not Used: De Sanctis, Cassani, Esposito, Biagianti. Goals: Rossi 20, Foggia 52, Pellissier 72.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Tuffey (Mannus 62), Johnson, Casement, Coates, McGivern, Little (Donnelly 82), O'Connor (Garrett 62), McCann, Evans (Ferguson 78), Carson (Lawrie 69), Healy (McGinn 45). Subs Not Used: Duffy. Booked: Tuffey.
Referee: Kevin Blom(Holland).
