Bosnia cement top spot

Bosnia-Herzegovina moved to consolidate their position at the top of 2014 World Cup qualification Group G with a straightforward 3-0 victory over Lithuania.

The hosts began the night in a three-way tie at the top with a vastly superior goal difference, and with second and third-place Slovakia and Greece playing each other in Bratislava, they took a firmer grasp on a top-two place with ease.

All three goals came in the first half, with Manchester City striker and Bosnia captain Edin Dzeko having a hand in two.

Vedad Ibisevic got the opener just before the half-hour mark, latching on to a pass from Miralem Pjanic and lashing the ball into the top right-hand corner of the net.

Pjanic was again the provider a little over five minutes later, playing in Dzeko to find the bottom corner of the net from short range.

Dzeko then returned the favour to put the game beyond doubt five minutes before the break, passing from the left for Pjanic to fire in.

Lithuania actually had the better of the second half, but the closest they came to scoring was a 63rd minute long-range effort from Mindaugas Panka which Asmir Begovic fumbled before a raised assistant’s flag prevented the visitors from following up.

Latvia ease past Liechtenstein

Latvia grabbed their first points of the World Cup qualification campaign with a comfortable win at home to 10-man Liechtenstein.

Vladimir Kamess (29) and substitute Edgars Gauracs (77) scored either side of the break.

Liechtenstein’s hopes of a comeback were undermined when defender Daniel Kaufmann was given two yellow cards in the space of three minutes to leave his side a man down for the final half-hour.

Latvia were only 1-0 ahead at that point after Kamess opened the scoring with a drilled shot from 12 yards.

But Kaufmann’s exit allowed the hosts to relax before Gauracs sealed the win with a neat finish from the middle of the area.

Latvia’s win kept alive their slim qualification hopes, although they remain second bottom in Group G, but Liechtenstein remain pointless after four games.

Estonia edge out Andorra

Estonia won the battle of the bottom two sides in Group D after edging past Andorra thanks to a second-half goal from Andres Oper.

The veteran striker headed home the only goal in the 57th minute after half-time substitute Martin Vunk’s shot had struck the crossbar as Estonia claimed the spoils in a match they largely dominated in terms of chances.

Neither country had picked up a point or even scored a goal from their opening three World Cup qualifiers, but Estonia, ranked 132 places above Andorra, would have been hopeful of getting off the mark tonight.

They were unable to beat home goalkeeper Josep Anton Gomez before half-time, but needed just 12 minutes of the second period to take the lead thanks to 34-year-old Oper.

That proved to be the match-winner as Andorra, who were convincingly beaten in their opening three games, could find no way back as they remained rooted to the foot of Group D.

Israel keep hopes alive

Israel kept alive their World Cup qualifying campaign with a comfortable victory over Luxembourg.

With Russia firmly in charge of Group D, Israel’s task is to stay on the heels of Portugal, who began the night two points ahead of them.

Israel held up their end with first half goals from Tomer Hemed and Eden Ben Basat, and a second from Hemed early in the second half.

Hemed got the first in the 13th minute, firing in from Bebras Natcho’s pass, but it was Ben Basat’s fine lobbed finish that caught the eye 10 minutes before the break.

Hemed’s second three minutes after the restart, an excellent header from Elad Gabai’s cross, seemed to suggest a rout could be on the cards.

But instead Luxembourg stood firm, limiting Israel to a handful of chances, most of which failed to trouble Jonathan Joubert.

Belarus earn opening win

Renan Bressan inspired Belarus to a comfortable 2-0 home win over Georgia as they opened their World Cup qualifying account in Group I.

Bressan, who scored in BATE Borisov’s shock Champions League win over Bayern Munich earlier this month, broke the deadlock in Minsk inside six minutes and set up the second goal for Stanislav Dragun.

Dragun served notice of what was to come when he threatened in the second minute by shooting wide, but it was only a further five minutes before Bressan gave the home side the lead with a low right-footed finish from six yards.

The BATE playmaker turned provider in the 28th minute when his delivery from the left channel was headed in by Dragun.

Those two goals put Belarus in control after a first half in which Bressan went close twice more, while Georgia’s limited threat amounted to little more than David Targamadze’s often optimistic free-kicks.

In the second period, Vitaly Rodionov was denied by keeper Nukri Revishvili and then hit the post as Belarus sought to put the result beyond doubt.

Jaba Kankava headed wide from close range in Georgia’s clearest sight of goal, while Alexander Kobakhidze and Levan Kenia were off target from 25 yards.

The much-needed win avenged Belarus’ opening defeat in Tbilisi, since when they have lost to France and Spain.

Russia maintain 100% record

An 84th-minute penalty by Roman Shirokov was enough for Russia to maintain their 100 per cent record in 2014 World Cup qualifying with a 1-0 win over a dogged Azerbaijan in Moscow.

Russia had a perfect record after their opening three games in Group F, leaving them three points ahead of second-placed Portugal, and given Azerbaijan came into the match with just one point from two games a home win appeared to be a reasonable prediction.

However, the visitors proved determined opponents and despite almost total domination, Fabio Capello’s side had to wait until six minutes from time to make the breakthrough.

Alexander Kerzhakov had already scored three times in qualification and he had the first real effort for Russia from the left which was comfortably held by Azerbaijan goalkeeper Kamran Agayev.

Dmitri Kombarov curled a free-kick wide signalling the start of Russian domination and it was the same player who came closest to giving the hosts the lead after 25 minutes when his 20-yard shot was tipped over by Agayev.

Sergei Ignashevich headed over from the resulting corner before Russia were then thwarted by the woodwork as Kerzhakov’s shot hit the post.

Russia were being frustrated by their visitors whose spoiling tactics were evident in the four yellow cards they were awarded in the first half.

Aleksandr Kokorin volleyed wide and Dennis Glushakov had two shots on goal in quick succession as Russia continued to lay siege to the Azerbaijan goal in the second half.

Agayev then parried Shikorov’s close-range attempt and as time wore on a draw appeared a distinct possibility before the hosts were awarded a late penalty following a foul by Ali Gokdemir on Vladimir Bystrov.

Shirokov placed the resulting spot-kick into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal as Russia finally breached the visitors’ defence.

Spot-kick joy for Glovers

Yeovil beat Torquay 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out after their Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie at Plainmoor finished 2-2 after 90 minutes.

Gary Johnson’s Glovers now host Wycombe in the Southern Area quarter-finals in the week commencing December 3.

Keanu Marsh-Brown smashed in the fifth Yeovil penalty after keeper Marek Stech had saved Torquay’s third kick taken by Thomas Cruise.

United opened the scoring following a sweeping move which resulted in Billy Bodin crossing from the left for recalled striker Ryan Jarvis to convert from close range after 24 minutes.

Yeovil replied when striker James Hayter volleyed in on the spin following a 37th-minute goalmouth scramble. The visitors should have taken the lead three minutes later when Reuben Reid fired across the face of the Torquay goal and Sam Foley also went close.

That stung Torquay into a response and another move – involving skipper Lee Mansell and winger Danny Stevens – enabled Jarvis to fire home in the 57th minute. Yeovil forced a shoot-out when Hayter doubled his tally in stoppage time, roofing in Marsh-Brown’s cross from the right.

Brazil hammer Japan in Wroclaw

Brazil ended their European tour with a superb performance, hammering Japan 4-0 in Wroclaw’s Miejski stadium on Tuesday.

Mano Menezes’ side gave their opponents no chance as they quickly took control of the match, midfielder Paulinho firing them ahead from outside the box in the 12th minute.

The Corinthians man had a chance to extend the advantage when he rounded keeper Eiji Kawashima but could not convert from a narrow angle. However, minutes later, Santos star Neymar doubled the score from the spot.

Neymar was credited with his second of the afternoon early in the second half when his cross deflected off in defender Atsuto Uchida.

And things got worse for Alberto Zaccheroni’s side in the 76th minute when Kaka, back with the Selecao after a two-year absence, broke from midfield and found the net.

Kaka and Hulk were both denied by the crossbar but Brazil nevertheless ended their tour with two wins and 10 goals, after crushing Iraq 6-0 in Sweden last week.

Brunt strike seals Orient win

A goal from Ryan Brunt gave Leyton Orient a 1-0 win over Hartlepool at Brisbane Road in League One on Tuesday.

The 47th-minute strike was the forward’s third goal of the season and left the visitors, who have only taken one point in six games on their travels this term, deep in relegation trouble.

Moses Odubajo proved a constant thorn in the Pools side, troubling them with pace consistently and turning past the defenders with ease.

He set up a string of chances for his forwards but it was not until after the break that Brunt finally found a way past overworked keeper Scott Flinders, who beat away a series of shots throughout the game.

Inevitably, it was Odubajo who played a leading part in the goal. The 19-year-old found space down the right wing and sent in a centre which was met by the unmarked Brunt who was able to net with ease from eight yards.

Generally outplayed throughout the 90 minutes, Hartlepool did suffer one piece of misfortune when a header from Steve

Howard crashed against the crossbar following a corner before being scrambled away to safety.

Garner late show denies Shakers

Joe Garner scored in injury time to snatch a point for Carlisle and deny Bury a first league win of the season as they drew 1-1 at Gigg Lane.

The Watford loanee slotted home after a penalty-box scramble to cancel out Zac Thompson’s opener and give the visitors a barely-deserved point.

Bury had dominated the first half, Matt Doherty and Dominic Poleon both going close early on.

The Shakers eventually went in front nine minutes before the break, Poleon feeding fellow Leeds loanee Thompson, who rifled an inch-perfect finish into the bottom corner of the net.

Defender Mark Hughes then wasted a chance to double the lead, heading wide after he had stooped to meet Steven Schumacher’s corner while David Worrall flashed a dangerous effort over the bar.

Tom Hopper had a chance to wrap up the win in the final minute but was denied by goalkeeper Mark Gillespie after breaking clear. However, Garner broke Bury hearts, keeping a cool head when the ball broke to him late on to ensure the spoils were shared.