Slovakia see off Liechtenstein
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Article summary
Slovakia 2-0 Liechtenstein
Held 1-1 by Lithuania in their opening fixture, the hosts picked up their first Group G victory thanks to goals by Marek Sapara and Martin Jakubko.
Article top media content
Article body
Slovakia picked up their first win of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, beating Liechtenstein 2-0 in Bratislava.
Michal Hipp's team could only draw 1-1 in Lithuania in their Group F opener but are now on four points from their first two fixtures. Marek Sapara scored their equaliser in Vilnius on Friday and the same man set them on their way again on Tuesday, with Martin Jakubko wrapping up the win with 12 minutes left.
The hosts were guilty of some early profligacy, with Marek Bakoš twice denied by visiting goalkeeper Peter Jehle in the space of four minutes and captain Martin Škrtel also missing the target with a header. It mattered not, though, as Spara, profiting from a clever Vladimír Weiss pass, beat Jehle at the second time of asking on 36 minutes.
Though Thomas Beck and Michele Polverino had rare sights of goal for Liechtenstein after the break, Slovakia remained in charge of possession. Marek Hamšík and Miroslav Stoch had chances to double their lead, but it was left to Jakubko to secure the victory.