Spain not distracted by trying to score 1000th goal

MADRID, Sep 4 (Reuters) Securing all three points from Northern Ireland is more important than scoring Spain's 1000th goal, Spanish players said ahead of their Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday.

Spain took their all-time tally to 999 with a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in their opening Group F game on Saturday.

''You always dream of scoring goals but there are no bets going on to see who might score it. They are only numbers for the history books,'' Spain striker Fernando Torres told a news conference today.

Saturday's win put Spain top of Group F on goal difference and the squad are determined to build on that positive start in Belfast.

''Two teams qualify out of the group but none of us are considering anything other than finishing top and to do that we have to win as many games, home and away, as possible,'' Torres added.

''We don't want to make the same errors as we have done before having to rely to qualification through the playoffs.'' Spain finished second in their World Cup qualifying group behind Serbia&Montenegro last year and had to beat Slovakia in a playoff to make it to the finals in Germany.

Liverpool's Luis Garcia said: ''It will be a lot harder against Northern Ireland than against Liechtenstein, but we won't accept anything less than returning with three points.'' Reuters PDS KP1912