Ten-man Slovenia ease past Faroe Islands

Slovenia earned an important Group C victory in the Faroe Islands despite playing for more than an hour with ten men.

After a tight and often cagey start, the visitors found themselves a player short when Marko Šuler was dismissed for a professional foul midway through the opening period. The hosts were unable to make their numerical advantage count, however, and found themselves behind four minutes later. Tim Matavž added to his hat-trick in the reverse fixture in October with another goal to give the visitors the lead before Rógvi Baldvinsson headed into his own net after the break to secure victory for Matjaž Kek's side.

Buoyed by their solid draw against Northern Ireland last time out, the Faroe Islands began on the front foot and their hopes of a first victory in Group C increased when Šuler was dismissed for a professional foul on 25 minutes.

The hosts nonetheless failed to take advantage and were trailing four minutes later courtesy of Matavž's fourth goal of the campaign. Slovenia doubled their lead and put the game beyond Brian Kerr's side two minutes after the break when Baldvinsson headed past his own goalkeeper.

The visitors remain five points behind Italy in second place and are not in action until September, while the Faroe Islands go into Tuesday's game against Estonia bottom of the section, having collected one point from six games.