European Qualifiers: Switzerland beat lowly San Marino with 4-0 away win in Group E

Haris Seferovic belatedly got Switzerland's European Championship qualifying campaign up and running as he paved the way for a comfortable 4-0 win in San Marino.

Swiss hopes of reaching the finals had been hit by successive defeats in their opening two Group E games to England and Slovenia.

But they were never likely to be troubled by the pool minnows in Serravalle and they duly coasted to their opening three-point haul.

The Eintracht Frankfurt striker pounced to open the scoring in the 10th minute when he headed home a cross from Pajtim Kasami.

After Kasami hit the bar in search of a second for Switzerland, Seferovic converted in the 24th minute by firing past home keeper Aldo Simoncini.

Six minutes later Blerim Dzemaili headed home from a corner to put the Swiss three up and only some fine saves from Simoncini, who denied Seferovic a hat-trick, kept the scoreline down at half-time.

The visitors continued to dominate after the break but more heroics from Simoncini frustrated Switzerland's hopes of raising their feelgood factor with a glut of goals.

Simoncini saved from Kasami and Silvan Widmer before he was finally beaten by Xerdan Shaqiri in the 79th minute.

Switzerland were denied a fifth in the final minute when Simoncini saved Ricardo Rodriguez's penalty after Giovanni Borini fouled Admir Mehmedi in the box.

Switzerland's win lifts them to fourth place in the group but they still trail Lithuania and Slovenia in joint second place by three points.