Patient Switzerland see off Lithuania

• Switzerland score four in last 24 minutes to claim joint-second place in Group E
• Own goal from otherwise excellent away keeper Giedrius Arlauskis breaks deadlock
• Fabian Schär makes it two before Xherdan Shaqiri adds goals on 80 and 90 minutes
• Next games: Switzerland v Estonia, England v Lithuania (27 March)

Switzerland's patience was tested to the full before they finally broke through to defeat Lithuania 4-0 and give their UEFA EURO 2016 ambitions a major boost.

With only three points from their opening three Group E qualifiers, the sense of urgency shown by the hosts was understandable. But for Giedrius Arlauskis in the visitors' goal, Switzerland would have soon calmed their nerves. Yet they were left frustrated as the Lithuania No1 twice denied Haris Seferovic – the first stop from a point-blank header was breathtaking – and turned away a Xherdan Shaqiri shot.

Even Arlauskis's heroics would surely have not been enough had Blerim Dzemaili connected with a half-volley just in front of goal, but the unmarked midfielder completely missed his kick. Shaqiri did not early in the second half yet his volley was straight at a grateful Arlauskis.

Seferovic fired just wide and Admir Mehmedi struck a post after going clean through before Arlauskis's luck eventually ran out. Under pressure from substitute Josip Drmić, the Lithuania keeper fumbled an inswinging corner into his own net on 66 minutes. He was beaten again two minutes later when – after all his defenders pushed out except one – Fabian Schär was left all alone to stroke home in comfort.

Dzemaili side-footed wide when a third seemed his for the taking; instead that was left to Shaqiri, who nodded home Drmić's cross, before the FC Bayern München man brilliantly flicked in another centre from the Bayer 04 Leverkusen forward to give the scoreline a gloss the Swiss deserved.