Hungary leave San Marino out for the count

A hat-trick from striker Ádám Szalai was the highlight as Hungary crushed San Marino 8-0 in their Group E qualifier in Budapest.

The result was never in doubt once Sándor Egervári's side had powered ahead in the 11th minute and it swiftly became a case of which Hungary striker would reach a hat-trick first – Gergely Rudolf or Szalai. Both scored twice before the break but it was Szalai who got a third before Vladimir Koman, Balázs Dzsudzsák and Zoltán Gera completed the scoring.

It was Hungary's second win in three games and ensures they will travel to Finland for Tuesday's UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier in good heart. As for San Marino, their woes were compounded by the dismissal of Carlo Valentini in second-half added time for a second yellow card incurred when conceding a penalty.

The procession started after 11 minutes when Rudolf nodded in after Aldo Simoncini had saved his first header from a Rudolf cross. Dzsudzsák laid on the second seven minutes later as his corner was glanced in off the far post by Szalai and the Hungarians soon added two more. In the 25th minute Koman's defence-splitting pass set Rudolf free and he dummied the goalkeeper and slotted home. Two minutes later Szalai struck an opportunistic fourth, spotting Simoncini off his line and dropping a 40-metre chip under his crossbar.

Four became five after 48 minutes when Dzsudzsák's low cross gave Szalai a simple task to convert his hat-trick goal. Hungary's sixth on the hour was the product of another left-wing attack but this time it was Rudolf who pulled the ball back for Koman to rifle across Simoncini and into the bottom corner. If San Marino thought things could get no worse they were wrong. After 89 minutes Dzsudzsák hit the goal of the night as he cut in from the left and hammered the ball into the top corner. There was still time for one more goal as Hungary captain Gera sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot after Valentini had seen red for bringing down Zsolt Laczkó.