Montenegro thrive on togetherness

Goalkeeper Vukašin Poleksić said his team had "become like a family" after Montenegro celebrated a 2-1 win in their first international.

Early shock
A penalty apiece from Mirko Vučinić and Igor Burzanović helped UEFA's newest member association overcome the shock of going a goal down within a minute, as Hungary's Tamás Priskin threatened to spoil the celebrations accompanying Montenegro's debut as an independent nation at the Buducnost Stadium in Podgorica.

Unified squad
For Poleksić, who acquitted himself well, it was the stuff of fantasy. "My dreams came true," he said. "I dreamt of putting on a Montenegro shirt, of hearing our anthem, and of winning the game. Since we started training on Monday, we have breathed as one, and become like a family." Indeed, coach Zoran Filipović was thrilled to have pieced together a winning side with limited preparation, saying: "We have only worked together for a few days - we had six training sessions - but my players made up for any problems on the pitch with enormous desire and concentration, especially in the second half."

Purović decisive
The introduction of Milan Purović as a second-half substitute proved a turning point, with the striker being fouled to win both penalties. "We dominated and deserved to win," added Filipović. "This victory gives us hope for the future. Our next steps will be very important, because we have only just begun." FK Crvena Zvezda forward Burzanović was simply relieved that the nightmare start prefaced a happy ending for the new boys: "We started badly, without concentration, but got better by the minute. It is very important to show fighting spirit and a winning mentality. It was not easy to come back."

International future
Montenegro will hope to show similar spirit in their next internationals, as they take on hosts Japan and Colombia at the Kirin Cup in early June. Future assignments were also on midfielder Simon Vukčević's mind as he savoured the joy of this first success. "This was a unique experience," he said. "Our fans lifted us to victory. They were great. We showed we have potential but it is very important to get experience. This is just the beginning. We will play lots of friendlies before 2010 [FIFA] World Cup qualifying. We are heading in the right direction."