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The Lithuanian national football team crushed the San Marino team in the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup and secured their first victory.
It was also their first victory of the year, ending a streak of seven winless international matches. The last time Lithuanians had won was almost exactly a year ago, when they defeated the local team on the Faroe Islands.
With four points, Lithuania leads Group 7, while Serbia and Montenegro are currently in second place with three points. Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Spain will play their first matches. Lithuania will face the group favorites, Spain, in their next match on October 13th in Vilnius.
Lithuania 4 - 0 San Marino 18' [1 - 0] Edgaras Jankauskas 50' [2 - 0] Edgaras Jankauskas 65' [3 - 0] Tomas Danilevičius 90+2' [4 - 0] Andrius Gedgaudas
Lithuania's lineup (4-3-3): Ž.Karčemarskas; A.Skerla, R.Džiaukštas, N.Barasa, M.Stankevičius; D.Vencevičius, S.Mikoliūnas (72' A.Gedgaudas), E.Česnauskis (46' I.Morinas); T.Danilevičius, R.Poškus, E.Jankauskas (68' T.Radzinevičius).
Playing against weaker opponents, the hosts started the match actively and missed a chance in the first minute after a pass from M. Stankevičius to E. Česnauskis, who failed to reach the ball.
The Lithuanians continued to dominate the game and create positional attacks. In the 18th minute, R. Poškus received a pass from the side, headed the ball, played well against the San Marino goalkeeper F. Gasperoni, but E. Jankauskas was the first to pounce on it and score the opening goal.
The minimal difference did not ensure victory, and the Lithuanian team continued to attack the opponents' goal. After a sharp run down the side by N. Barasa, he passed the ball, but T. Danilevičius was not expecting it after one of the San Marino defenders miskicked the ball.
The attacks continued: Poškus had to defend a penalty shot from the goalkeeper, and later, when Poškus kicked the ball back into the penalty area and it bounced back, Danilevičius struck the ball near the goal.
At the end of the first half, after a pass from the left side, Stankevičius' shot with his head flew just wide. Just before extra time, Česnauskis suffered a wrist injury, so he was replaced by I. Morinas during the break.
Three minutes into the second half, there was a scuffle in the visitors' penalty area. The ball bounced back to Barasa, who passed it towards the goal, where Jankauskas, unchallenged, headed it into the almost unguarded net to double the lead.
In the 56th minute, Poškus had a chance to score, but in a similar situation to before, his shot sailed over the goal. The third goal came nine minutes later - Jankauskas headed the ball to Danilevičius, who, playing in Italy, sent a shot from the edge of the box into the goal.
Shortly after, Morinas had a chance to score, but the San Marino goalkeeper Gasperoni reacted to his headed shot. In the final moments of the match, two substitute players were involved in creating the fourth goal - the Lithuanians executed a beautiful combination on the left side, Radzinevičius set up Gedgaudas, who had only to defeat the opponents' goalkeeper from about 6 meters.
