World Cup qualifiers: England v Montenegro - in pictures

It's a wet and wild evening in London. Not the ideal conditions for a crunch fixture against a Montenegro side who currently sit just a point beneath England in the Group H table
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Guards prepare to play prior to the match. It's an 8pm kick-off tonight
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

The big news tonight is that Andros Townsend is in the starting line-up on the right side of midfield after just 18 Premier League starts, not the experienced James Milner. Roy Hodgson says that's because he can link up with his Tottenham team-mate Kyle Walker
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... while Joe Hart keeps his place between the sticks despite his indifferent form this season
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Townsend is at the heart of things for England as they start at a high tempo
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

He finds his path blocked, though, on one of several charges towards goal
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Daniel Sturridge is clattered into as he goes up for a header
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Sturridge jinks through the Montenegro defence and into the box, but his low cross is well cut out
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Hart is called into to action when he has to swipe a hasty clearance away from the edge of the box
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Montenegro's fans seem to be enjoying themselves
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Rooney has the best chance of the half from a tight angle when he reacts to a rebound from Townsend's shot ...
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

… but his shot clips the outside of the post when he should have done better, or even squared it (as Danny Welbeck is keen to point out). Worse still, news filters through at half-time that Ukraine have beaten Poland, meaning England realistically have to win tonight and again on Tuesday if they are to qualify for the World Cup automatically
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Early in the second half, another shot rebounds to Rooney - this time it was an effort by Welbeck - and the United striker controls the ball ten yards out before scuffing a shot straight down the centre of the goalmouth ...
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... and it goes under the Montenegro keeper Poleksic to give England a precious 48th minute lead!
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England's mounting pressure results in a second goal when Branko Boskovic turns into his net from Welbeck's cross. Irony is, Stefan Jovetic had almost equalised seconds earlier with a long-range strike which thumped the bar. So, England are 2-0 up with 28 minutes remaining
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But, out of nowhere, Montenegro spring an attack and pull one back when Dejan Damjanovic gets an instinctive nick on Fatis Betiraj's shot and sends it into the bottom corner, past Hart, in the 71st minute. Worrying times ahead for England
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A bullocking run from Towsend finishes with him firing a swerving long-range shot at goal, and it clips the post and flies in. 3-1 to England
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What a moment on his England debut
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England wrap up the match when Sturridge earns and dispatches a late penalty
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It was a very cool finish from the Liverpool man who simply waited for the keeper to commit before rolling the ball home
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

So, after all that, there was nothing to worry about... well, not until Tuesday night against Poland, that is. Final score: 4-1
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian