YUGOSLAVIA - Russia 0-1

Titov (9, RUS) challenges for the ball with Jokanovic (YUG)

Belgrade, April 25 (Reuters) - Substitute striker Vladimir Beschastnykh struck in the 72nd minute to give Russia a 1-0 win over Yugoslavia in a World Cup group one qualifying match on Wednesday.

The result means Russia stay top of the group with 13 points from five matches, ahead of Switzerland on seven points and Slovenia on six from five matches.

Fourth-placed Yugoslavia have five points from four matches and the defeat against Russia is a severe blow to their hopes of clinching even a play-off spot in a group also including The Faroe Islands and Luxembourg.

The hosts started the brighter and dominated proceedings in the early stages, but created few chances as a well-organised Russian team held their own and always looked dangerous on the break.

Goran Drulic, fielded as a last minute replacement for the injured Savo Milosevic, should have fired Yugoslavia ahead in the 15th minute but failed to tap in a cross from the right with the keeper already beaten.

The Russians replied through Yegor Titov, who missed two good chances midway through the first half after his strike partner Andrei Fedkov created the openings with surging runs through the middle.

Drulic missed two sitters after the interval and Yugoslavia paid the price as Beschastnykh grabbed the winner only a minute after Red Star Belgrade's striker was denied by Russia's keeper Ruslan Nigmatulin from point blank range.

Beschastnykh found the back of the net with a diving header after full-back Rolan Gusev raced down the right flank and delivered to a perfect cross at the near post.

The striker could have added a second for Russia seven minutes from time but fired wide of the far post with only the keeper to beat.

Yugoslavia pushed forward in search of an equaliser in the dying minutes but to no effect and were jeered off the pitch by a near-capacity crowd of 48,000 after the final whistle.

Yugoslavia's manager Milovan Djoric said some of the players "were done with international soccer", adding he wouldn't resign in spite of strong pressure by the media.

"Some of these players will not feature for Yugoslavia again as long as I am in charge. I won't resign or be toppled by the media as an uphill task of creating an entirely new team lies ahead," he said afterwards.

Mateja Kezman, who failed to impress again after lacklustre performances against Switzerland and Slovenia last month, blamed the defeat on bad luck.

"We ran out of luck and let in a cheap goal after squandering a host of good chances. The Russians took the one opportunity they created after the break and that was it," he said.

Djoric says he will quit if Yugoslavia don't qualify Belgrade, April 26 (Reuters) - Yugoslavia manager Milovan Djoric told a news conference on Thursday he would quit only if his team failed to clinch a play-off berth in their World Cup qualifying group. Djoric's statement came a day after Yugoslavia suffered a 1-0 defeat to group one leaders Russia in Belgrade, seriously denting their hopes of qualifying for next year's finals in Japan and South Korea. "I have a twin aim of creating an entirely new team and qualifying for the World Cup next year. I will resign only if we fail to clinch a play-off berth," he said. "We are in a very tight spot and direct qualification is no longer an option, but we can still finish as runners-up and clinch a playoff spot with a bit of luck," he added. The result left Yugoslavia in fourth place with five points from four matches. Russia top the group with 13 points from five matches, ahead of Switzerland with seven points and Slovenia on six from five matches. "We must not and an will not lose the reverse fixture in Russia on June 2," Djoric said. The manager's newly-discovered optimism came only a day after Yugoslavia's lacklustre performance and his own admission at a post-match news conference that the team was in total disarray as some players were "trying to do his job". "I'm in charge of this team and no player has any right to demand a place in the starting line-up for himself or anybody else," he said when asked why Fiorentina striker Predrag Mijatovic was not even on the bench. Djoric said Mijatovic had refused to start the match on the bench, adding he was deeply disappointed with the striker's consequent decision to abandon the national team and watch the game on television. "Mijatovic is the last person I expected to do something like that. I was deeply disappointed by his reaction," Djoric said. Parma striker Savo Milosevic pulled out minutes before the kickoff with a sudden injury and Yugoslavia finished the match with no forwards after midfielders Dejan Stankovic and Predrag Djordjevic came on for Goran Drulic and Mateja Kezman. "Our two strikers were exhausted and I had no choice but to bring on two midfielders even though we were a goal down," Djoric said. The manager, under strong pressure to resign after a string of poor results, said some players were "obviously no longer good enough for the national team". "Some of these players are done with international soccer. The match against Russia made it palpably clear that a few of them are no longer good enough to play at this level and they should quit," Djoric said. He denied that Mijatovic was one of them. "No, I never said I wouldn't call him up again. But I also never promised him a place in the starting line-up," he said. "A national team - or any team for that matter - wouldn't need a manager if players were given the liberty of deciding who should be on the pitch."

                          G  W  D  L   F-A   Pts
         1. Russia        5  4  1  0   7-1   13
         2. Switzerland   5  2  2  1  13-5    8
         3. Slovenia      5  1  4  0   8-7    7
         4. YUGOSLAVIA    4  1  2  1   4-3    5
         5. Faroe Islands 4  1  1  2   5-8    4
         6. Luxembourg    5  0  0  5   1-14   0