Switzerland moved level on points with World Cup Qualifying Group Two leaders Greece after victory over minnows Moldova, but they were made to sweat in the second half.

Goals from captain Alexander Frei and substitute Gelson Fernandes moved Switzerland on to 10 points, the same total as Greece after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Israel.

Switzerland were clearly the stronger team at the Republican Stadium, and controlled the game from the early stages.

Marco Padalino laid the ball off for Blaise Nkufo in the 10th minute, but he fired wide from a good position,

Moments later, Tranquillo Barnetta's free-kick found Benjamin Huggel. But Stanislav Namasco pushed the ball away, and Philippe Senderos sent the rebound wide.

The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Nkufo raced into the area to cut the ball back for Frei to fire in.

Moldova offered little, their best spell coming at the start of the second half.

Denis Calincov was fouled on the edge of the area, but Igor Bugaev sent the resulting free-kick into the wall before forcing a save from Diego Benaglio with the rebound.

Switzerland soon moved the action to the other end, where Namasco could parried Nkufo's close-range effort.

Frei should have added a second in the 72nd minute, but his miss set up a Moldovan counter-attack as Serghei Alexeev saw his header saved by Benaglio.

Switzerland were almost made to pay for their failure to kill the game as Bugaev sent the ball over from a good position five minutes from time.

Moldova won two late corners but could not make anything of them, and the Swiss countered with Namasco pushing Barnetta's shot behind.

But as time ran out, the visitors finally made sure of the points as Frei crossed for Fernandes to head in number two.