round-up

Second-half substitute Bob Peeters hit a hat-trick to lead Belgium to a 10-1 whipping of San Marino's part-timers in Brussels last night to boost their chances in World Cup qualifying Group Six as they go above Scotland in goal difference.

The match was one-way traffic and gave Belgium one of its biggest-ever international wins.

Anderlecht midfielder Yves Vanderhaeghe led the way, blasting home low right-foot shot past the hapless Frederico Gasperoni in 10 minutes to open Belgium's account.

Three-minutes later it was 2-0 as veteran midfielder Marc Wilmots headed across the goal mouth to give Emile Mpenza an easy prod into the goal.

Wilmots started the move that made the third. His cross dissected the defence, Didier Dheedene flicked on and Bart Goor shot a close-range, left-foot shot under Gasperoni in 26 minutes. Belgium went in at half time, 3-0 up through goals by Yves Vanderhaeghe, Marc Wilmots, and Bart Goor, but it could have been six, as they peppered the area with shots that rebounded off the woodwork or bemused defenders. San Marino resisted for just five minutes in the second half before they were buried under an avalanche. Vanderhaeghe struck in 50 minutes, Goor capped an excellent performance with another goal 10 minutes later, and Walter Bassegio hit the sixth in 64 minutes.

Wilmots got on the scoresheet again in 72 minutes. Peeters made it 8-0 four minutes later, then struck in 83 minutes for the ninth.

In the final minutes, the crowd in the King Baudouin Stadium roared for 10, and Peeters duly obliged heading with three minutes to go. San Marino's only full-time professional, Andy Selva, curled a free-kick round Belgium's defensive wall for a spectacular last-minute consolation goal.

Sweden won a one-sided friendly 3-0 against Malta in Valetta, with Celtic's Henrik Larsson their inspiration.

He had a hand in all three goals as Sweden totally dominated the match, played in pouring rain.

Goals from Karl Corneliusson (30), Larsson (40), and Hakan Mild (78) gave Sweden victory, with their goalkeeper, Magnus Hedman, only having one corner to save the entire match.

Corneliusson made no mistake when he scored the opener with only goalkeeper Ernest Barry to beat after Larsson dummied the defenders to create his chance, while Larsson, set up by Arsenal midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg, netted with a brilliantly executed chip shot just before the break.

Larsson provided the pass for Mild to add the third to complete an easy workout before next month's World Cup qualifiers with Macedonia and Moldova.

An injury-time penalty by Angelos Bassinas earned Greece a 3-3 draw with Russia after the Greeks had squandered a 2-0 lead.

Uruguay scored a 2-0 victory at Slovenia, while Poland gained a resounding 4-0 win at Switzerland with first-half goals by Emmanuel Olizadebe and Barosz Karwan, and two more after the break by Tomasz Hajto and Pawel Kryszalowicz.

Davor Vugrenic gave Croatia a 1-0 victory over Austria with a 35th minute strike in Rijeka, while Bosnia-Herzegovina hit back from a goal down to tie 1-1 with Hungary in Zenica.

Macedonia held the Czech Republic to a 1-1 draw in Skopje, Gjorgji Hristov heading the home team ahead in 35 minutes, with Pavel Kuka equalising seven minutes later.