International Friendly: Switzerland 1 Jamaica 0

Switzerland will be aware of the need for improvement in front of goal after they limped to a 1-0 home win over Jamaica on Friday.

Ottmar Hitzfeld’s men, who are gearing up for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, spurned a host of chances in Lucerne, but finally found a way through with Josip Drmic’s 84th-minute winner.

For all of Switerland’s first-half pressure, it was a Jamaican who almost handed them the lead as Adrian Mariappa came close to steering past his own goalkeeper.

Switzerland continued to create the better chances after the break, with Drmic wasting a great opportunity when he cleared the crossbar from close-range with the goal gaping.

The recent signing for Bayer Leverkusen made amends, however, keeping his composure to prod past Andre Blake late on.

Hitzfeld will hope his men prove more clinical in Tuesday’s final warm-up fixture against Peru, before they open the
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ir World Cup campaign against Ecuador on June 15.

Switzerland largely dominated proceedings in the opening half and Blerim Dzemaili fired the first warning when he shot narrowly wide from 20 yards.

The hosts went even closer after 22 minutes when Mariappa directed Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross towards his own goal, forcing a fine point-blank save from Jamaica goalkeeper Blake.

Despite their control of the game, Switzerland almost fell behind when Rodolph Austin’s effort deflected off Philippe Senderos. Swiss keeper Diego Benaglio was left wrong-footed, but the ball trickled just past the post.

The game followed a similar pattern after the break with Switzerland looking to dictate the tempo, but they often attempted one pass too many and failed to get shots away.

Admir Mehmedi nearly provided the spark to light up what was becoming an increasingly tepid encounter on the hour mark, the forward cutting in from the left before sending in a right-footed shot that only just cleared the crossbar.

Switzerland then missed two gilt-edged chances in as many minutes, their first close call coming as Drmic failed to make the most of an open goal from inside the six-yard box.

Lichtsteiner then met a left-wing cross at the front post, but his close-range shot was kept out by Blake.

Drmic eventually broke the deadlock when it looked like a goal was not going to come.

After springing the offside trap, he turned Wes Morgan and guided an effort past Blake, with the keeper getting a touch before it nestled in the top-left corner.