England

0-0

Macedonia


UEFA European Championship Qualifying Group E
5pm, Sat 7 October 2006
Old Trafford, Manchester
England 0-0 Macedonia Archive Details - Click Here

Steve McClaren admitted England's performances 'have got to be better' after the 0-0 draw with Macedonia at Old Trafford.

A frustrating display meant England could not maintain their 100 per cent start to the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a daunting trip to Croatia next up on Wednesday.

McClaren said afterwards: "It's a reality check for everybody. We have to work harder and make sure in the next game we are better.

"We were not good enough going forward, our passing, our final ball and our final finish. It wasn't clinical.

"If you look at the game overall a draw was probably a fair result but we are very disappointed.

"We know that that was not good enough. We are playing Macedonia at home and we expect to score in our home games.

"We did well to keep a clean sheet and get the point but we have to do better.

"I am disappointed and frustrated, and so are the players in the changing room," McClaren told Sky Sports News. "Looking at the performance it has got to be better.''

Captain John Terry felt one opportunity could have turned the game England's way - but conceded "sometimes it just doesn't happen''.

He said: "I felt the opportunity was going to come, sometimes it goes in like it has recently - but it didn't this evening.

"You can see the frustration in the lads, at the end when they are bombing forward, trying to make it happen.''

Archive Details - Click Here

England: 1 Robinson, 2 G. Neville, 3 A. Cole, 4 Gerrard, 5 King, 6 Terry (c), 7 Carrick, 8 Lampard, 9 Rooney (17 Defoe 74), 10 Crouch, 11 Downing (16 Wright-Phillips 70)

Subs: 12 P. Neville, 13 Kirkland, 14 Carragher, 15 Parker, 18 Bent

Macedonia: 1 Nikolovski, 2 Noveski, 3 Petrov, 4 Sedloski (c), 5 I. Mitreski, 6 Sumolikoski, 9 Maznov, 11 Naumoski (20 Stojkov 45), 14 Lazarevski, 6 A. Mitreski, 19 Pandev

Subs: 12 Pacovski, 18 Tasevski, 17 Jancevski, 15 Vasoski, 16 Popov, 10 Sakiri

Referee: Markus Merk (all Germany)
Assistant referees: Heiner Muller, Jan-Hendrik Salver
Fourth official: Knut Kircher

Attendance: 72,062