Mexico struggle to win

The result came as a relief to the hosts after back-to-back defeats in Honduras and El Salvador, but was not enough to squeeze into the top three places of the CONCACAF final stage group that would guarantee a place in South Africa.

As the six-team pool reached its halfway mark, Mexico lie in fourth place on six points from five games, one point behind Honduras.

A fourth-placed finish would leave them with the unenviable prospect of a two-leg playoff against the fifth team from South America, currently Ecuador.

Javier Aguirre's team got of to a perfect start when Guillermo Franco collected a pass on the right, cut inside and slipped the goal past Clayton Ince in the first minute.

Mexico wasted chances to add to their lead and paid when Hayden Tinto pounced on a defensive mistake and fired into the top corner on the stroke of halftime.

The hosts regained the lead three minutes after the break when Oscar Rojas scored from outside the area.

The defeat left the Soca Warriors bottom with two points from five games.

Carlos Pavon struck an early goal to give Honduras a 1-0 win over neighbours El Salvador, putting them back on course for a place at the World Cup finals.

The win lifted Honduras to third in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament with seven points from five games. El Salvador are fifth with five, one below Mexico.

Honduras and El Salvador, who fought a five-day war 40 years ago after a series of World Cup qualifiers fuelled existing bad feeling over Salvadorean immigrants in Honduras, are both trying to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1982.

El Salvador, boosted by a shock 2-1 win over Mexico on Saturday, began brightly but it was the hosts who took the lead when 35-year-old Pavon scored from a rebound in the 14th minute.

Honduras, despite missing striker David Suazo through injury, almost went 2-0 up just after halftime when Pavon's shot was cleared off the line.