Finland kept their hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup alive after coming from behind to defeat Liechtenstein 2-1 at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

The visitors took a shock lead after just 13 minutes through Mario Frick, but Mikael Forssell's leveller on the half-hour and Jonatan Johansson's winner 20 minutes from time spared the Finns' blushes.

The result kept Stuart Baxter's side in third position in Group Four, a point ahead of Wales who won 1-0 in Azerbaijan.

Finland are now two points behind second-placed Russia, with both sides having reached the halfway stage of their qualifying campaigns and set to go head to head in Helsinki on Wednesday.

Liechtenstein remain at the foot of the table having managed only a single point in six qualifiers so far.

The hosts nearly opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Alexei Eremenko slipped in Forssell, who got past the goalkeeper but stumbled at the final moment and sent his shot wide.

Liechtenstein had made a lively start though and after going close themselves when Jussi Jaaskelainen turned Michele Polverinos' shot around the post, they scored only their second goal of the campaign when Beni Fischer crossed in the 13th minute for Frick to turn the ball in from close range.

Finland almost equalised when Forssell found himself through again, only for Peter Jehle to smother the ball at his feet, but in the 33rd minute Alexei Eremenko broke in from the left and crossed low for Forssell, whose touch made it 1-1.

After the restart Liechtenstein adopted a defensive approach which the Finns struggled to combat, but after Jehle had saved Roman Eremenko's long range effort and Alexei Eremenko's follow-up, Johansson finally made the breakthrough, drilling a low shot from the edge of the area in the 71st minute.

Substitute Shefki Kuqi came close to adding a third towards the end but Johansson's strike proved to be enough to secure the vital three points.