Euro 2016

[monks data]

European Championship | Qualifiers

Sep 3, 2015 at 7.45pm UK

Czech Republic
2-1
Kazakhstan

Skoda (74', 86')

FT(HT: 0-1)

Logvinenko (21')

Match Report

Football

Czech Republic edge out Kazakhstan

By Tom Nightingale, Reporter | 03 September 2015

Milan Skoda comes off the bench to score twice as Czech Republic recover from one down to beat Kazakhstan 2-1 in Euro 2016 qualifying Group A.

Substitute Skoda's late brace has seen Czech Republic come from behind to beat Kazakhstan 2-1 at Sparta Stadium and move six points clear of the Netherlands in the race for automatic progression from Euro 2016 qualifying Group A

David Lafata drilled wide and Vladimir Darida forced a save from Kazakhstan goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov as the home side dominated the early exchanges but it was Group A's bottom side who took a shock lead midway through the first half.

The visitors played a corner short and Tanat Nuserbayev stood up a cross to be attacked at the back post, where Yuri Logvinenko arrived to power a header past Petr Cech.

Yuri Logvinenko of Kazakhstan celebrates with his teammates Sergei Maliy and Ulan Konysbayev after he scored during their UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying round football match against Czech Republic on September 3, 2015 © Getty Images

Czech Republic were unlucky not to find an equaliser before the interval when David Limbersky's strike from the edge of the box hit the crossbar and could have levelled shortly after the restart when Pavel Kaderabek headed wide from a corner.

They finally made their pressure tell after 74 minutes when Borek Dockal's cross was headed home from six yards by substitute Milan Skoda for his first international goal to restore parity.

The turnaround was complete with just four minutes to go as Skoda headed in his second of the night, rising highest to glance Josef Sural's cross past Pokatilov and ensure that Czech Republic put one foot in Euro 2016.