England’s Wayne Rooney runs to his team-mates after scoring against Montenegro, in Podgorica, last month.England’s Wayne Rooney runs to his team-mates after scoring against Montenegro, in Podgorica, last month.

After failing to beat Montenegro away, England may have to face the deciders to earn qualification to the 2014 World Cup finals.

In Podgorica, England could only manage a 1-1 draw and manager Roy Hodgson is now saying that his team may not obtain a straight qualification.

Hodgson claimed that to reach Brazil, England must play much better in the remaining matches.

England remain two points adrift of their opponents in Group H, and they will be five behind by the time they play again if Montenegro overcome Ukraine in their next match in June.

That would leave England facing the challenge of securing three wins and a draw from their remaining four games in autumn to finish top of the group and avoid the play-offs which could also involve big guns Croatia, Portugal and France.

The last occasion England were involved in a play-off came under former manager Kevin Keegan in the Euro 2000 campaign.

In the first match at Hampden Park, England toppled Scotland 2-0 (Scholes 2). England lost the return at Wembley 0-1, but still progressed 2-1 on aggregate.

England group matches and remaining fixtures read:

September 2012: Away vs Moldova 5-0 (Lampard 2, Defoe, Milner, Baines). Lampard overtakes Hurst with a total of 25 goals in the all-time scorers’ list.

November 2012: Home vs Ukraine 1-1 (Lampard penalty). Gerrard sent off.

October 2012: Home vs San Marino 5-0 (Rooney 2, Welbeck 2, Oxlade-Chamberlain. Debut for Shelvey (Liverpool).

October 2012: Away vs Poland 1-1 (Rooney).

May 2013: Away vs San Marino 8-0 (Valle og, Chamberlain, Defoe 2, Young, Lampard, Rooney, Sturridge). First eight goals scored in a qualification match since 1981, when England beat Turkey by the same scoreline at Wembley in a European Championship tie.

May 2013: Away vs Montenegro 1-1 (Rooney).

Standings: Montenegro (4-2-0) 14; England (3-3-0) 12; Poland (2-2-1) 8; Ukraine (2-2-1) 8; Moldova (1-1-4) 4; San Marino (0-0-6) 0.

England scorers

1. B. Charlton (1958-1970) - 49
2. G. Lineker (1984-1992) - 48
3. J. Greaves (1959-1967) - 44
4. M. Owen (1998-2008) - 40
5. W. Rooney (2003-) - 35
6. N. Lofthouse (1950-1958) - 30
7. A. Shearer (1992-2000) - 30
8. T. Finney (1946-1958) - 30
9. V. Woodward (1903-1911) - 29
10. S. Bloomer (1895-1907) - 28
11. F. Lampard (1999-) - 28
12. D. Platt (1989-1996) - 27
13. B. Robson (1981-1989) - 26
14. G. Hurst (1965-1972) - 24
15. S. Mortensen (1947-1953) - 23
16. T. Lawton (1938-1948) - 22
17. P. Crouch (2005-2010) - 22
18. M. Channon (1972-1977) - 21
19. K. Keegan (1972-1982) - 21
20. M. Peters (1966-1974) - 20

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