Steffen Iversen bagged a first-half hat-trick as Norway crushed Malta, but it was not enough to propel Age Hareide's side to Euro 2008.

The Norwegians needed to win, while hoping Bosnia-Herzegovina could break a four-match losing streak against Turkey, but, despite comfortably keeping their side of the bargain, Turkey did enough to complete the job.

It seemed a cruel outcome on a side which dominated this game so comprehensively.

Twenty-five minutes in Iversen hit the opener, before the Rosenborg striker made it two from the penalty spot three minutes later.

Malta then managed to create a couple of rare chances, but Iversen killed off the tie a minute before half time.

Michael Mifsud pulled a goal back after the break, though it was tempered by Andre Schembri's 67th minute red card and Morten Gamst Pedersen's goal to make it 4-1.

It could signal the end for Hareide who hinted after the 2-1 defeat against Turkey on Saturday that he might quit football if Norway failed to qualify.

Iversen set the trend with a narrow miss just one minute in and Jarl Andre Storbaek kept up the pressure with a 35-yard piledriver two minutes later.

Efforts from Bjorn Helge Riise and John Arne Riise followed as Norway put Malta through a torrid first 10 minutes.

It was no surprise when Iversen headed the opener from Storbaek's right wing cross in the 25th minute.

A second followed two minutes later when Jamie Pace brought John Carew down in the area, and Iversen netted from the spot.

It sparked something of a resurgence from Malta, for whom Pace nearly amends when his 25-yard drive brought a superb finger-tip save from Hakon Opdal.

The fight back was predictably short-lived and truly quelled when Iversen smashed his hat-trick off a John Arne Riise cross a minute before the break.

Mifsud pulled a goal back seven minutes after the break with a ferocious low drive from the edge of the area.

Schembri then saw red for his second bookable offence and Pedersen then headed home Per Ciljan Skjelbred's cross 16 minutes from time.

Teams:

Malta Haber, Azzopardi, Dimech, Wellman, Briffa, Nwoko (Cohen 87), Pullicino, Woods (Barbara 84), Pace,Schembri, Michael Mifsud (Scerri 89).

Subs Not Used: Hogg, Josef Mifsud, Scicluna, Bajada.

Sent Off: Schembri (67).

Booked: Wellman, Michael Mifsud, Schembri, Woods.

Goals: Michael Mifsud 53.

Norway Opdal, Storbaek, Hagen, Hangeland, John Arne Riise, Bjorn Helge Riise (Haestad 76), Riseth, Skjelbred, Iversen (Rushfeldt 85), Carew (Helstad 68), Pedersen.

Subs Not Used: Jarstein, Hoiland, Solli, Tettey.

Booked: Hagen, Riseth, Pedersen.

Goals: Iversen 25, 28 pen, 45, Pedersen 75.

Att: 6,000

Ref: Yuri Baskakov (Russia).