Lithuania take Serbia scalp
Wednesday 14 October 2009
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Mindaugas Kalonas (left) scores Lithuania's opener against Serbia from the spot (©Robertas Dačkus)
Lithuania ended their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on a high by defeating Group 7 winners Serbia 2-1 in Marijampole thanks to penalties from Mindaugas Kalonas and Marius Stankevičius.
Terrible weather
Adverse weather conditions denied the teams the chance to have a proper warm-up, although visiting goalkeeper Vladimir Dišljenković showed no ill effects from a lack of preparation as he kept out a testing shot from Kestutis Ivaškevicius after seven minutes. Dišljenković was close to repelling Kalonas's spot-kick 12 minutes later too, awarded after Ignas Dedura was felled in the box.
Tough pool
Serbia levelled in the 59th minute, Zoran Tošić ending a solo run by dribbling around Žydrunas Karčemarskas and rolling the ball into the empty net. Lithuania won the game in the 67th minute, Stankevičius converting a second penalty after Aleksandar Luković brought down Kalonas. Lithuania, who began Group 7 with victories against Romainia and Austria, finish a credible fourth in a tough pool in which France finished second.
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