Miroslav Stoch's double improved FC Twente's hopes of reaching the last 32 of the Europa League, at the expense of Sheriff.

Stoch had opened the scoring but an own goal midway through the second half from Twente substitute Cheik Tiote appeared to have earned the visitors a point.

However, Stoch struck in the 89th minute at De Grolsch Veste to move Steve McClaren's men three points clear of third-placed Sheriff.

The Moldovan champions were first to threaten but Alexander Erokhin's seventh-minute free-kick - awarded following a foul on him by Stoch - went wide.

The home side took the lead soon after when Stoch picked up the ball and found the net with a right-footed effort from 12 yards.

In the 13th minute Alexey Kuchuk shot wide for the visitors, who threatened again three minutes later through Wilfried Benjamin Balima.

Sheriff, who won the contest between the sides in Moldova 2-0, continued to make most of the running and Vazha Tarkhnishvili saw two free-kicks go wide.

In the 23rd minute Balima fired over from 18 yards, before Blaise Nkufo shot over at the other end two minutes later.

Douglas Franco's 32nd-minute free-kick did not threaten Stanislav Namasco, then Kenneth Perez saw his free-kick go wide.

Perez was replaced by Tiote for the second half, which started quietly but burst into life when the Moldovan champions forced a flurry of corners - which failed to yield a noteworthy chance.

Twente boss Steve McClaren brought off Wout Brama for Nashat Akram - and the hosts came close to doubling their advantage soon after when Bryan Ruiz connected well with Theo Janssen's free-kick, only to see his shot go narrowly wide.

Midfielder Balima made way for striker Amath Diedhiou in the 64th minute as boss Leonid Kuchuk increased his attacking options.

And the Tiraspol side levelled midway through the half, albeit in fortunate circumstances, when Tiote - under pressure to clear - found his own net from close range.

Swiss striker Nkufo shot wide soon after, then Alexandr Suvorov was replaced by Vladimir Volkov as the visitors sought to preserve the point.

It looked like they would get it until Stoch fired home from 12 yards in the 89th minute - and it was nearly 3-1 in injury-time, when Namasco denied Australia international David Carney.

Teams:

FC Twente Boschker, Franco, Wisgerhof, Brama (Akram 56), Carney, Stam, Janssen (Parker 78), Nkufo, Perez (Tiote 46),Stoch, Ruiz.

Subs Not Used: Mihailov, Heubach, Vujicevic, de Jong.

Booked: Nkufo, Stoch.

Goals: Stoch 8, 89.

FC Sheriff Namasco, Tarkhnishvili, Nadson, Rodriguez, Corneencov, Erokhin, Suvorov (Volkov 72), Balima (Diedhiou 65), Rouamba, Mamah, Kuchuk.

Subs Not Used: Melenciuc, Da Costa, Arbanas, Bulat, Jymmy.

Booked: Kuchuk.

Goals: Tiote 68 og.

Att: 20,200

Ref: Alexey Kulbakov (Belarus).