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SPLIT, Croatia (Reuters) - Croatia ended a 16-year wait for a win at the Poljud stadium by coming from behind to beat Georgia 2-1 in an enthralling Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday.
The victory lifted Croatia to the top of Group F with 13 points from six matches, ahead of Greece who have 11 from five and Israel who are on 10 points from six games.
The Croatians had drawn six and lost three matches at Poljud since first playing there as an independent nation in 1995 and the jinx seemed set to continue when they fell behind against the run of play.
Georgia winger David Siradze was given too much room on the left flank and Jaba Kankava ghosted in at the near post to head his pinpoint cross past Croatia keeper Vedran Runje after 17 minutes.
The home side, roared on by a capacity 35,000 crowd, hit the woodwork three times before Mario Mandzukic equalised in the 76th minute with a neat finish from the edge of the six-yard box.
Blackburn Rovers striker Nikola Kalinic, a local favourite after coming through the ranks at Hajduk Split before his move to the Premier League, sent the home fans into raptures two minutes later when he turned in Eduardo's low cross from the right.
(Reporting by Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade, editing by Tony Jimenez. To comment on this story: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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The victory lifted Croatia to the top of Group F with 13 points from six matches, ahead of Greece who have 11 from five and Israel who are on 10 points from six games.
The Croatians had drawn six and lost three matches at Poljud since first playing there as an independent nation in 1995 and the jinx seemed set to continue when they fell behind against the run of play.
Georgia winger David Siradze was given too much room on the left flank and Jaba Kankava ghosted in at the near post to head his pinpoint cross past Croatia keeper Vedran Runje after 17 minutes.
The home side, roared on by a capacity 35,000 crowd, hit the woodwork three times before Mario Mandzukic equalised in the 76th minute with a neat finish from the edge of the six-yard box.
Blackburn Rovers striker Nikola Kalinic, a local favourite after coming through the ranks at Hajduk Split before his move to the Premier League, sent the home fans into raptures two minutes later when he turned in Eduardo's low cross from the right.
(Reporting by Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade, editing by Tony Jimenez. To comment on this story: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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