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Group E round-up

Image: Van Persie: Scored four as Holland run riot against San Marino

Holland maintained their 100 per cent record in Group E with an 11-0 win over San Marino to stay top.

Dutch yet to drop points in their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign

Holland maintained their 100 per cent record in Group E with an 11-0 win over whipping boys San Marino to stay top, while Hungary produced a shock win over Sweden. Finland thumped Moldova 4-1 to edge ahead of their opponents in the standings. The Netherlands have been excellent so far in their qualification campaign and their latest outing against San Marino was no different. Robin van Persie scored four, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Wesley Sneijder both grabbed braces, while John Heitinga, Georginio Wijnaldum and Dirk Kuyt all got on the score-sheet. Van Persie opened the scoring after seven minutes after collecting a pass from Mark van Bommel to score from close range. He later turned provider as he teed up Sneijder to score from 20 yards with a crisp finish before Heitinga headed in the third on the 18th minute. But it was the flurry of goals after the interval that really put the gloss on the scoreline. Kuyt scored from Huntelaar's cross to grab the fourth before Sneijder showed his creative streak to play in Huntelaar for an easy tap-in. Van Persie got his second in the 65th minute and completed his hat-trick three minutes later. Huntelaar made it eight with his second, slotting home from Kevin Strootman's cross, and Sneijder nodded the ball down for Van Persie to score the ninth.

Double figures

Sneijder brought up double figures in the 87th minute from Van Persie's deft through ball and Wijnaldum, who had only been introduced in place of Strootman in the 86th minute, managed to get his name on the scoresheet in injury-time after being teed up by fellow substitute Hedwiges Maduro. Rudolf Gergely scored a last-minute winner to leave Sweden reeling after a 2-1 defeat away to Hungary to go level on points in the group with their opponents. It was a game Sweden would have expected to win but they were given a real surprise by the East Europeans. Imre Szabics gave them the lead a minute before the interval to put them in control after the interval. But on the hour mark Sweden's persistence paid off and they were able to level the scores through Christian Wilhelmsson. However, there was a twist to come as Hungary, who had missed a penalty through Tamas Hajnal, snatched the winner through Gergely.
Double
Kasper Hamalainen was the man of the hour for Finland as he notched a double to give them a morale-boosting win over Moldova. Hamalainen put the Finns ahead after just 12 minutes of the game and scored again two minutes before the interval as they tightened their grip on the game. Mikael Forssell showed his finishing skills have not diminished with age as he converted a penalty after 52 minutes to make it three. Igor Armas put the ball through his own net to compound the misery for the Moldovans who were given something to cheer when Serghei Alexeev scored a consolation five minutes from time.

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