Macedonia secure second win of campaign

Macedonia 1 Andorra 0

Macedonia registered only their second win of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign but were far from convincing in seeing off minnows Andorra.

The hosts’ only win in Group B prior to this evening came in the reverse fixture against the Andorrans in October, but any expectations of hitting the goal trail on home soil were quickly dispelled.

Mirko Ivanovski’s 59th-minute strike ultimately proved the difference between the sides as Macedonia moved onto seven points, albeit with qualification long since beyond them.

Andorra, meanwhile, stay bottom after their eighth loss in as many qualifiers.

The hosts edged a poor first half, with efforts from Ivanovski, Goran Popov, Muarem Muarem and Ferhan Hasani attracting the attention of Andorra goalkeeper Josep Anton Gomez.

Emili Garcia’s header wide was all the visitors could muster in the way of a chance in the opening period, but Andorra nevertheless went in level at the break and harbouring hopes of a second competitive win. Their first, back in 2004, came against the same opposition.

But Macedonia were in no mood for a repeat of that ignominious loss, and came out firing after the break with Hasani twice going close.

The breakthrough finally came just before the hour mark when Andorra failed to clear their lines from a corner, and when Hasani returned the ball into the danger area Ivanovski had an easy task to tuck the ball home from close range.