Hamšík double keeps Slovakia flawless

• Marek Hamšík's second-half double helps Slovakia to victory in Borisov
• Timofei Kalachev appeared to have rescued a draw for Belarus in the 79th minute
• Stanislav Šesták seals Slovakia's success in added time
• Victory maintains Slovakia's 100% start to Group C after wins against Ukraine and Spain
• Belarus remain on one point and have lost both home qualifiers
• Next games: Spain v Belarus, FYR Macedonia v Slovakia (15 November)

Slovakia maintained their perfect start to Group C as a sweet pair of strikes from Marek Hamšík and a late Stanislav Šesták goal disposed of Belarus.

Ján Kozák's patient side prised the breakthrough in the 65th minute when Hamšík galloped into the area to drive in a Vladimír Weiss pass, before Timofei Kalachev struck back to earn a likely share of the spoils. However, Hamšík thumped in his second with six minutes remaining and Šesták's added-time third confirmed a flawless nine points in the section for the visitors.

Buoyed by previous victories against Ukraine and Spain, Slovakia hit the ground running at the Borisov Arena. Yuri Zhevnov did well to push Ján Ďurica's seventh-minute drive wide and was called into action again from the resulting corner as Juraj Kucka's header appeared destined for the net. Belarus, who only had a point to show from their first two matches, weathered the early storm but had to wait until the 38th minute to test Matúš Kozáčik at the other end through Kalachev's drive.

The visitors reasserted themselves after the resumption with Hamšík's fierce drive calling Zhevnov back into action, while Adam Nemec whipped a low effort just wide of the far upright. Belarus lost Egor Filipenko to an injury shortly after and Róbert Mak nearly profited from the defensive reshuffle, only for Zhevnov to stand tall again for Georgi Kondratiev's charges.

Slovakia's pressure eventually told when Hamšík clinically dispatched Weiss's cutback, but Kozáčik, who had denied Kalachev from distance, was then beaten from closer range when the midfielder rifled in at the far post from Stanislav Dragun's cross.

Hamšík was not to be denied, though, fizzing in his second after Miroslav Stoch's drive had rebounded off a post. And it was then left to Šesták to muscle his way through in added time and poke a third goal past Zhevnov.