Football: Late drama as South Korea beat Qatar 2-1

SEOUL (AFP) - Hamburg SV winger Son Heung Min prodded home an injury-time winner as South Korea won a bad-tempered encounter with Qatar 2-1 to give their 2014 World Cup qualification hopes a major boost on Tuesday.

The substitute toe-poked from just a metre out deep into stoppage time after a speculative effort came off the crossbar, sparking delirium in the Seoul World Cup Stadium as South Korea provisionally topped Asia's Group A.

The hosts had earlier blown a 1-0 second-half lead and were drawn into some testy exchanges, including a mass pushing and shoving match with five minutes to go, as a disappointing draw beckoned.

But Son's strike was golden as it gave the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists a third win from five games in the final qualifying round to leave them two points clear with three to play.

Second-placed Uzbekistan play bottom team Lebanon later. The top two teams earn an automatic ticket to Brazil 2014, with the third-placed side going into a play-off series.

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