Czechs go top of Irish qualifying group

Slovakia 0 Czech Republic 3

Libor Sionko struck a first half brace and set up another to send the Czech Republic to the top of Ireland's European Championship qualifying group in Bratislava on tonight.

The Rangers forward found the net in the 10th minute and again 11 minutes later before playing in Jan Koller to wrap things up midway through the second half, ensuring the visitors swapped places with Slovakia in the race for qualification.

But while the game was effectively over within 21 minutes, it was Slovakia who had looked the brighter during the early exchanges.

Filip Sebo, a team-mate of Sionko at Rangers, was in aggressive mood, first crunching Martin Jiranek on 21 seconds, and then fouling Jaroslav Plasil a minute later.

Sebo was in the thick of the action again with barely five minutes completed, breaking forward to fire over the bar from 20 yards, before Jan Koller announced the Czech’s presence with an unsuccessful 30 yard drive moments later.

But for all their early trepidation, the Czechs soon found their stride.

Marek Jankulovski fired over a cross from the right with 10 minutes played and Sionko headed into the top corner.

Dusan Svento led the host’s revival, coming close a minute later, but the Czech goal remained empty and Sionko doubled the visitors’ lead with his second on 21 minutes.

Jaroslav Plasil supplied the cross from the left and Sionko drove the ball inside Kamil Contofalsky’s left-hand post from 18 yards.

Slovakia responded by sending on Sziliard Nemeth up front for midfielder Marek Cech, but it did not reap any obvious rewards, and it was not until Jan Durica’s header forced Petr Cech to tip over the bar on 44 minutes, that the home fans had cause for excitement.

Slovakia launched a flurry of shots after the break, but Koller ended all resistance, latching on to Sionko’s lay off in the box and firing low into the net with half an hour remaining.