World Cup qualifiers: Costa Rica beat Jamaica 3-0 to boost qualifying bid

Costa Rican players celebrate a goal

Two goals in a commanding first half gave Costa Rica a convincing 3-0 win over Jamaica on Tuesday which virtually guaranteed their place in the final round of qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Celso Borges grabbed the opener for the home side with a seventh minute header and Sporting Lisbon forward Bryan Ruiz doubled the lead eight minutes before half-time when he hammered home a rebound after the Jamaican keeper could not hold a powerful drive from Marcos Urena.

Substitute Johan Venegas Ulloa grabbed a third with 12 minutes remaining.

The result means Costa Rica lead Group B of the North and Central America and the Caribbean region qualifiers with 10 points.

They now require just one point from their remaining two fixtures to qualify for the final six-team group that begins in November.