In-form Huntelaar too good for Moldova

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar continued his prolific start to UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying, taking his tally to six goals in three games with the only goal as the Netherlands claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory in Moldova.

Huntelaar kicked off Group E with a hat-trick in San Marino last month before adding two more in a 2-1 win against Finland. One was enough in Chisinau, the 27-year-old latching onto Rafael van der Vaart's superb pass and firing in off the upright eight minutes before half-time.

It means the FC Schalke 04 striker has now scored in six successive games for club and country, and he had looked a threat from the start at the Zimbru Stadium. It took a brilliant save from Stanislav Namaşco to deny him after 17 minutes but there was nothing the goalkeeper could do about Huntelaar's next opening just before the interval.

With the Oranje bossing possession the goal had been coming as Moldova offered little as an attacking force. They could have been further behind soon after the restart when John Heitinga rattled the crossbar with a header after meeting Wesley Sneijder's corner. Dirk Kuyt had the chance to seal the points but fluffed his lines from eight metres out, but it mattered not as the Netherlands made it three wins from three.

It is likely to be rather more testing for Bert van Marwijk's men when they welcome Sweden in Amsterdam on Tuesday. Moldova, on three points in Group E, will look to return to winning ways in San Marino.