.png)
9 hours ago
8
The most extraordinary upshot of an extraordinary evening was that Scotland’s dream of qualifying automatically for the World Cup remains alive. Steve Clarke has Belarus to thank for that, their surprise claiming of a draw in Denmark leaving Scotland in precisely the position they had sought before this clash with Greece. If Scotland beat Denmark in Glasgow on Tuesday, they will top this section.
The dust might just have settled on this preposterous fixture by then. Scotland trailed by three at one point before hauling themselves back into proceedings against a Greek team who finished with 10 men.
Greece’s win by the odd goal in five was a merited one but, after a silent wait for full-time in Denmark to arrive, the Tartan Army celebrated as 10 added minutes in Copenhagen drew to a close. Clarke and his Scotland players did not seem to know how to act, which was totally understandable. For all the shortcomings laid bare here, the spirit summoned was quite striking. Clarke’s task in the coming days is to combine that with far more assuredness, especially in defence.
“A crazy game, crazy night,” said Clarke, who puffed his cheeks out and shook his head before beginning post-match media duties. “We conceded bad goals and scored good goals. I have said it repeatedly about this group, they give everything. They didn’t give up.
“I am pleased that the players still have the opportunity to go directly to the World Cup but disappointed we lost the game. It is not a game we should have lost. I have a mix of emotions in my head just now.”
By the end of a bizarre first half, Scotland could either have been faced with an insurmountable challenge or level. The visitors had their veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon to thank for the fact Greece did not add to their solitary goal. Not at that point anyway.
When that early counter arrived, John Souttar was left red faced after misjudging the bounce of a hopeful punt. Vangelis Pavlidis stole in, with the striker’s shot expertly saved by Gordon. The ball broke to Tasos Bakasetas, who slammed low into the bottom left hand corner of the Scotland net. Albeit messy, the goal was appropriate reward for Greece’s spritely start. Scotland looked petrified.
Gordon duly saved twice from Christos Tzolis with the first – of one handed nature – particularly impressive. Panagiotis Retsos was next to test the Hearts custodian with a close range header. As Pavlidis failed to connect properly with a Tzolis cross, Scotland were rocking badly.
During first half stoppage time, Clarke’s men woke up. Scott McTominay, hitherto anonymous, smacked the bar from 20 yards. Che Adams should have scored with a back post header but fluffed his lines. Ben Gannon-Doak, sent clean through by McTominay, was similarly wasteful with only the Greek goalkeeper to beat.
Scotland actually started the second period reasonably well. Ryan Christie capitalised on a defensive mix-up before playing in Adams for what should have been an equaliser. The Torino forward was ponderous, his eventual shot blocked. The lack of proper threat provided by Adams is a regular source of Scotland weakness.
Greece heeded the warning. The substitute Andreas Tetteh rampaged down the left flank before cutting back for Konstantinos Karetsas. The golden boy of Greek football lived up to his reputation with a wonderful, curling shot which Gordon could not halt.
after newsletter promotion
Retsos tried another header, which this time hit the post. Instead it was Tzolis, the most outstanding player on show, who blasted Greece 3-0 in front from 25 yards. Greece were taking out their frustrations from earlier failings in this campaign on a shell-shocked Scotland.
What happened next was as remarkable as it was unforeseen. Gannon-Doak fired high past Odysseas Vlachodimos when meeting a John McGinn cross. Consolation, surely? Think again, said Scotland. Another cross, this time from the captain Andy Robertson, found Christie for 3-2. Belarus had now edged 2-1 ahead in Denmark; a previously despondent Scotland support were suddenly in raptures. Scotland had 20 minutes in which to salvage the most stunning of points.
McTominay spurned a glorious chance, albeit Vlachodimos saved superbly with his feet. Bakasetas in theory made things easier for the Scots by hauling down Lewis Ferguson for a second booking. Clarke by this point had thrown on Lyndon Dykes and Lawrence Shankland to pep up his attack. When George Hirst replaced Gannon-Doak, three minutes from time, Scotland were playing 4-2-4.
A goalmouth scramble from a McGinn cross was as close as Scotland came to notching the sixth goal of the night. Incredibly, defeat barely mattered. Clarke is one game from Scottish sporting immortality. The circumstances that brought him to this point were so utterly, wonderfully bonkers.
