European Qualifiers: Serhiy Sydorchuk gives Ukraine 1-0 victory over Macedonia

Serhiy Sydorchuk's first-half goal made all the difference as Ukraine recorded their second win in four days with a narrow 1-0 victory over Macedonia in their Euro 2016 qualifying match at Arena Lviv.

Sydorchuk struck just before the break, moments before team-mate Andriy Yarmolenko missed the chance to double their lead as he sent his power penalty over the crossbar.

Mykhaylo Fomenko's Yellow-Blue, who saw off Belarus on Thursday, now have six points from their opening three Group C fixtures ahead of Sunday evening's matches between Belarus and Slovakia, Luxembourg and Spain.

Despite few chances to get on the scoresheet, Macedonia failed to build on their dramatic 3-2 victory over Luxembourg three days ago and remain with four points.

It was a slow start, with Yevhen Konoplyanka trying his luck with a couple of free-kicks but failing to trouble Tomislav Pacovski.

Andrei Pyatov then pulled off a fantastic save as he held out Adis Jahovic's close-range shot as the away side started to make some inroads before Konoplyanka fired wide at the other end.

Macedonia winger Besart Abdurahimi was next to have a go at the Ukraine goal but Pyatov managed to tip the ball over the bar and hold onto his clean sheet.

Yarmolenko headed over from close range and then, three minutes before the break, Pacovski did well to catch Yarmolenko's curled shot from the right.

But Ukraine's pressure finally paid off as the half drew to a close when Yarmolenko sent in a low cross to the far post which eventually found Dynamo Kiev midfielder Sydorchuk, who fired home the opener with his close-range strike from the centre of the box.

There was more drama two minutes into first-half stoppage-time when Macedonia defender Aleksandar Damcevski conceded a penalty for a foul on Roman Zozulya which Yarmolenko subsequently powered over the bar.

Yarmolenko went close again early in the second half, denied by Pacovski, while Konoplynka headed wide.

The half wore on with neither side coming close in the final half hour before Vance Sikov almost rescued a late point for the visitors, heading wide from Trajkovski's corner at the death.