Armenia stun Slovakia

ARMENIA stunned Slovakia with four second-half goals in Zilina to blow Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualifying Group B wide open.

The visitors had been the better side for much of the encounter but there was little hint of the onslaught to come when Yura Movsisyan broke the deadlock in the 57th minute.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Gevorg Ghazaryan and substitute Artur Sarkisov completed a rout which lifts Armenia to a shock third place in the group, only three points behind leaders Russia.

Slovakia would have moved top of the group with a win but were left fourth after a result which also came as a huge boost to second-placed Ireland.

Marcos Pizzelli, a goalscorer against Andorra on Friday, wasted two long-range efforts for Armenia, who soon had keeper Roman Berezovsky to thank for keeping the hosts at bay.

The FC Khimki shot-stopper tipped Marek Hamsik’s effort around the post and repeated the dose, even more impressively, from the resulting corner as Slovakia finished the half strongly.

Yura Movsisyan shot over and Pizzelli twice fired wide for Armenia.

Peter Pekarik blocked Pizzelli’s effort before Movsisyan broke through, finishing left-footed from 12 yards after being found by Grayr Mkoyan.

Berezovsky denied Holosko an equaliser twice before Mkhitaryan doubled Armenia’s lead with a low 20-yard drive in the 70th minute.

Robert Jez and Pekarik could not respond and Ghazaryan killed the game off when he converted the impressive Movsisyan’s cross to make it 3-0.

Holosko shot over before Sarkisov put the final coat of gloss on the scoreline, heading home after Mkhitaryan hit the bar.

Elsewhere in Group B, John Toshack’s Macedonia beat Andorra 1-0.

SLOVAKIA: Mucha, Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Cech (Jendrisek 78), Karhan, Weiss (Sestak 71), Stoch, Hamsik, Guede (Jez 55), Holosko.

ARMENIA: Berezovsky, Aleksanyan, Hayrapetyan, Mkoyan, Hovsepyan, Mkrtchyan, Artur Edigaryan (Yuspashyan 89), Mkhitaryan, Pizelli (Manucharyan 74), Ghazaryan, Movsisyan (Sarkisov 85).

Referee: Marcin Borski (Poland).