Ftbpro - Bosnia and Herzegovina picked up a consolatory win to mark their exit from the World Cup, showing flashes of the quality that has cruelly previously eluded them. The 3-1 result also cost Iran a chance to progress to the next round.

Edin Dzeko opened the scoring for Bosnia in the 23rd minute, while Miralem Pjanic added a second shortly before the hour mark to kill Iranian spirits. Reza Ghoochannejad pulled one back in the closing stages, but Avdija Vrsajevic put the result beyond doubt moments later.

Already eliminated, Bosnian head coach Safet Susic had made five changes to the team that lost against Nigeria, most notably giving a first World Cup start to Stuttgart striker Vedad Ibisevic. Carlos Queiroz named the same Iran team that lost against Argentina in such agonising fashion.

Iran knew they needed to win to have any chance of reaching the knockout rounds for the first time in their history, but the Middle-Eastern team showed no intention of trying to force the issue early on. Playing to their defensive strengths, Queiroz's team sat back and tried to absorb Bosnia's attacking threats, though it almost quickly backfired as Dzeko forced an important save from Alireza Hahighi in the opening minutes.

Unsurprisingly Bosnia began to dominate possession. However, Iran were defending well and on the odd occasions they managed to get some forward possession of their own. Questions were asked of the Bosnian defence, with only key blocks and interceptions preventing chances at goal.

But it was when Iran had grown in confidence and committed more men forward that they were punished. With defenders out of position Dzeko picked the ball up in space and fired low into the bottom corner from range, exorcising some demons in the process. Iran were somewhat shell-shocked, but there was almost an instant response when Masoud Shojaei's chipped effort came back off the crossbar.

Needing to score twice to have any chance of progression, the deficit signalled a change in Iran's tactics as they traded a deep defensive line for a higher press. It seemed to be working as the team began winning the ball further up the pitch and taking a greater share of possession as they searched for a way back into the game.

In what remained of the first half chances proved hard to come by, though Bosnia always posed a potential threat as full back Avdija Vrsajevic got into a good position but pulled his shot badly wide when a square ball was perhaps a better option.

The second half began quite slowly but Iran soon began to try and quicken the pace again. However, it was a defensive error that delivered what looked to be a crushing blow to Iranian chances. Jalal Hosseini cheaply gave the ball away inside his own half, an incisive pass that presented Pjanic, who arguably marginally offside, with a chance that he coolly finished past Haghighi.

Facing an uphill battle the wind was suddenly understandably absent from the Iranian sails. They continued to put balls into the penalty area but there was a telling lack of intensity or quality and as the game wore on Bosnia slowed the play right down and really killed the contest.

Few chances for either side followed but with just 10 minutes remaining Ghoochannejad finished from close range to give just a shred of hope. However, only seconds later Vrsajevic burst forward and instantly restored the two goal advantage to secure the 3-1 win.

Bosnia: Begovic, Vrsajevic, Spahic (c), Kolasinac, Besic, Pjanic, Ibisevic, Dzeko (Visca - 83'), Susic (Salihovic - 79'), Sunjic, Hadzic (Vranjes - 60')

Iran:Haghighi, Hajisafi (Jahanbakhsh - 63'), Hosseini, Sadeghi, Nekounam (c), Shojaei (Heydari - 45'), Teymourian, Montarezi, Ghoochannejad, Dejagah (Ansarifard - 67'), Pooladi