UPDATE 1-Soccer-Belgium fight back to draw with Croatia

* Perisic strikes early for Croatia

* Gillet equalises on stroke of halftime

(adds quotes)

BRUSSELS, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Belgium recovered from

conceding an early goal but failed to capitalise on second-half

dominance to draw 1-1 with Croatia in an open and fluid World

Cup qualifying match on Tuesday.

The home side, narrow bookmakers' favourites to win Group A

despite their lowly 40th world ranking, fell behind to an Ivan

Perisic goal in the sixth minute.

Guillaume Gillet equalised on the stroke of halftime but

despite Belgium's neat footwork which created chances, they

could not find a winner.

"If there was one team that merited a victory it was

Belgium. We have lost two points at home. It annoys me a bit,"

said Belgium coach Marc Wilmots. "Still, if you can dominate

Croatia for 80 minutes, it is a good performance."

"If I look at international football, getting six or seven

chances in a match is a lot, but you need the killer touch,"

he continued.

Perisic drove in an easy opener when Vincent Kompany failed

to fully clear Darijo Srna's cross.

Gillet, the sole home starter still playing for a Belgian

club, thundered in an equaliser from a half-cleared corner in

the final seconds of the first half.

Belgium talked before the match of shutting down Croatia

midfielder Luka Modric, but it was wingers Srna and Perisic and

imposing striker Mario Mandzukic who threatened most, while

their defence was disciplined throughout.

Belgium, with six of their starting 11 playing in England's

Premier League, threaded the ball neatly across a midfield

featuring Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel and Moussa Dembele, all big

money signings for the new season.

Belgium's wealth of individual talent has prompted talk of a

golden generation emerging after a decade-long barren spell with

continued failure to qualify for a big tournament since the 2002

World Cup.

Brussels' King Baudouin stadium was for the first time in

years a 40,000 seat sell-out for the second straight match, many

fans heeding the Red Devils call for them to dress in the

national colour. Gillet's equaliser ignited the crowd, which

roared the team on for a winner.

Croatia coach Igor Stimac described the match as a point

gained.

"If you lose at home you make it difficult for yourself. You

have to win home games," he told reporters. "We should be happy

winning at home and getting a point from the biggest opponent in

our group."

Stimac said Group A appeared to be narrowing down to a

contest between Belgium, Croatia and Serbia, all with four

points after two matches.

Serbia's 6-1 demolition of Wales put them top on goal

difference, with Belgium in second and Croatia third.

(Additional reporting Robert-Jan Bartunek, editing by Ed Osmond

and Justin Palmer)