Ten-man Belarus stay unbeaten with Luxembourg draw

Luxembourg registered their first point in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying courtesy of a goalless draw against ten-man Belarus, who remain unbeaten in Group D.

There was a win apiece for both sides when they met in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying and honours remain even after the visitors' task was made all the more difficult by the 69th-minute dismissal of Sergei Kornilenko. Luc Holtz's side had begun their campaign with successive losses to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, but they more than held their own against a Belarus side who defeated France and held Romania last month.

Bernd Stange's team did not concede a goal in either of those two previous fixtures, but they looked in danger of surrendering that record on Friday as captain Yuri Zhevnov's goal came under threat early on. Yet despite some promising signs, Luxembourg failed to muster a clear-cut opportunity and Belarus, with Kornilenko their only outlet, were equally blunt at the other end.

The interval changed little and Belarus were further frustrated as time ticked by. Their evening took a turn for the worse with 21 minutes remaining when Kornilenko was shown a straight red card following a foul on Guy Blaise. Though Luxembourg toiled to make their numerical advantage count, the clearest opening of the night did fall their way but substitute Daniel Da Mota failed to convert Tom Laterza's cross.