Scotland remain on course for an improbable, heroic qualification for next year’s European Championship after a thrilling 3-1 over a tricky Lithuania side today. Timely substitutions from manager Alex McLeish led to two late goals that mean a point from next Wednesday’s visit to Paris could yet see his side emerge from the continent’s toughest group. Kris Boyd, Stephen McManus and James McFadden scored the goal’s that rendered Tomas Danilevicius’s successful penalty irrelevant.

Roared on by a raucous crowd and knowing they needed to retain their 100% home record to have a chance of appearing in their first finals since 1998, Scotland tore forward from the start with determined directness. Their ambition, however, was not complemented by precision and though they prevented Lithuania from even entering the Scottish half in the first four minutes, the hosts could not carve out any clear chances early on. Indeed, it was the visitors who mustered the first notable strike, Mindaugus Kalonas latching on to a breaking ball to lash a long-range effort narrowly wide in the 14th minute.

Manager Alex McLeish started with Derby winger Gary Teale in a bid to stretch a Lithuanian defence that has proved its tightness throughout this campaign, notably when drawing in Italy. The first indication that that ploy might proof fruitful came in the 17th minute, when Darren Fletcher arrowed a fine ball out to Teale by the right touchline; Teale attempted to twist and turn his way past his marker before eventually winning a corner. From Fletcher’s delivery, Scott Brown headed towards goal, Boyd helped it on and goalkeeper Zydrunas Karcemarskas parried brilliantly with one hand - but the ball rebounded straight to Lee McCulloch who, from just five yards, directed his header into the ground, giving the keeper time to claw it to safety as it bounced back up.

Scotland sensed blood and over the following few minutes forced a succession of corners as they attempted to make a telling incision. But again they couldn’t sustain the pressure, and the impetus shifted back to the visitors, whose neat passing and physically powerful forwards meant they remained menacing.

On the half-hour mark, however, Fletcher, captaining his country for the first time in the absence of the suspended Barry Ferguson, seized the initiative for his team and caught Lithuania off-guard by taking a free-kick quickly, curling it sweetly into the box where Boyd, Scotland’s poacher par excellence, beat his marker to the ball and headed it into the net from six yards.

Lithuania were reeling and Scotland threatened to overwhelm them, Teale starting to find the crossing accuracy that had mostly eluded him till now and Fletcher and Brown marauding powerfully from midfield. The latter pair swapped passes neatly on 40 minutes before Fletcher slipped another dainty ball through to Boyd, prompting Karcemarskas to charge off his line and safe bravely at the striker’s feet.

But again the Scottish storm subsided and Lithuania came creeping back. On several occasions Scottish defenders, usually the impressive David Weir and James McEveley, had to suddenly lunge to prevent a Lithuanian from connecting with a fizzing cross or one of Marius Stankevicius’s extraordinarily long throw-ins. At half-time, then, the Scots were deservedly in the lead - but far from in control.

Lithuania made two attacking substitutions at the break, flying wingers Saulius Mikoliunas and Audrius Ksanavicius replacing the more pedestrian Andrius Velicka and Igorinas Morinas. Emboldened and now in a fluid 4-2-4 formation, the visitors forced Scotland onto the back foot, though, like Scotland at the start of the first period, they could not find a fatal final ball.

Bu they didn’t need to. Because in the 61st minute Lithuania were level thanks to a controversial penalty. Mikoliunas bedazzled McEveley down the right and waltzed into the box; Fletcher stretched to poke the ball from his foot, missed, and planted his boot somewhere in the vicinity of Mikoluinas’s, inviting the forward to fall theatrically. Convinced there’d been contact, the Slovenian referee pointed to the spot. Craig Gordon dived to his left … so Tomas Danilevicius clipped the ball into the centre of the goal.

McLeish reacted by throwing on McFadden in place of Teale, who, like most of his team-mates, had only performed in spurts. On 70 minutes, Fletcher flighted another free-kick into the box, where Stephen McManus met it with a firm, low header. Karcemarskas saved. Moments later, McManus was to the fore at the other hand, hurling himself in front of a powerful Kalonas shot that would surely have encumbered Gordon.

It was an exhilarating, open game now as both sides sought the win. McFadden emulated the Lithuanian wingers in the 75th minute by raiding down the right to great effect, though his eventual cross was fractionally too long for Boyd.

McLeish made a double substitution in the 76th minute - Craig Beattie and Shaun Maloney coming on for O’Connor and McCulloch - and the impact was instant. Fletcher rolled a short corner to Maloney, who whipped a malicious in-swinging cross into the box. It whizzed past everyone but McManus, who stole in at the back post to whack it past the keeper from close range. Cue delirium in Hampden Park.

A thrilling match and a crucial Scottish victory was capped by a terrific McFadden goal six minutes from time. Cutting in from the right to collect the ball from Boyd on the edge of the box, the Everton man curled a wonderful left-foot shot into the top corner.

(AP)Chinese manufacturers and American toy giant Mattel Inc. are both responsible for recent recalls of millions of lead-tainted toys worldwide, a Chinese official said in an interview published Wednesday.

Li Zhuoming, executive vice chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Toy Industry Association, said blame “cannot be pushed to either side” in the recent recalls, which included popular Sesame Street, Barbie and Polly Pocket products made in the province.

“The producers are responsible because they do not have tight controls over purchasing and production,” Li was quoted as saying in the state-run Guangzhou Daily newspaper. “But the buyer Mattel cannot evade responsibility.”

Li, whose group represents toy makers in Guangdong, an export manufacturing base for a large percentage of Chinese products, said Mattel neglected to “do its job well in quality inspections.” He did not give any details or say how the producers did not follow standards.

Robert Eckert, Mattel’s chairman and CEO, last week defended the measures the company has taken to ensure the safety of its toys, saying he was “disappointed in what has occurred and what has transpired.”

Li also hit out at foreign companies exploiting China’s cheap production costs and warned that they risk getting shoddy products if they demand too low a price from Chinese manufacturers.

“If you give a high price for purchasing, the factories will use high quality raw materials to produce. But if the price is low, they can only use inferior raw materials,” Li said.

China’s goods have come under intense scrutiny in recent months after toxic chemicals were found in exports ranging from toothpaste to seafood and pet food ingredients.

On Tuesday, China’s ambassador to the United States defended the quality of Chinese products and blamed the press for “churning up agitating stories.”

“By and large, the quality of Chinese products and the safety of the food made in China are reliable,” Zhou Wenzhong said in a speech to the World Affairs Council of Oregon.

Also Wednesday, a distributor announced a recall in Australia and New Zealand of Chinese-made blankets found to contain high levels of formaldehyde, a potentially cancer-causing chemical preservative that gives a permanent press effect to clothes.

The voluntary recall of “Superlux” label blankets by Australia-based Charles Parsons came two days after the New Zealand government launched an urgent investigation into Chinese-made clothes discovered containing dangerous levels of formaldehyde.

With growing numbers of countries rejecting Chinese goods, Beijing has sought to reassure consumers by highlighting similar problems in other countries and criticizing foreign media for playing up the safety problems.

China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said Wednesday that it has found “numerous quality problems” with soybeans imported from the United States.

While the quality watchdog did not give details on shipments, it said it had found pesticides, poisonous weeds, and dirt in the U.S. exports.

The American Soybean Association says the beans, crushed for oil and used as animal feed, are the biggest single U.S. farm export to China, which has bought billions of dollars worth since the current market year began last September.

Commerce Minister Bo Xilai said Tuesday he had confidence in the “made-in-China” label because product quality had made great progress in the last few years.

One of the August recalls by El Segundo, California-based Mattel involved 19 million items including dolls, cars and action figures around the world. Some were contaminated with lead paint. Others had small magnets that children might swallow. Two weeks before, 967,000 Chinese-made plastic preschool toys from Mattel’s Fisher-Price unit were recalled because of possible lead-paint hazards.

U.S. safety officials have said no injuries had been reported with any of the products and the broad scope was to prevent potential problems.

Both cases hint at the long and murky supply chain making it difficult to trace the exact origin of components, chemicals and food additives produced by Chinese manufacturers.

Ferrari experienced a chastening qualifying session in their home grand prix as McLaren’s Fernando Alonso edged out his team-mate Lewis Hamilton to take pole for tomorrow’s Italian grand prix. Alonso pipped Hamilton by just 0.037secs to clinch his third pole position this season and the 17th of his career.

“We’ve been quick all weekend, we’re extremely quick here at Monza,” said Alonso. “Hopefully we can do our job in the race and finish ahead of everyone.”

When questioned on the atmosphere within the team given the spying allegations that surround McLaren at present, he replied: “The team has been quite focused, in this race especially. Turkey [a fortnight ago] was a disappointing race and weekend. We were not quick enough to push the Ferraris.”

Hamilton conceded to enjoying “a good battle” with Alonso, adding: “The one-two is great for the team. It shows how hard we are working, especially back at the factory.”

Felipe Massa was the best of the Ferraris and will start third on the grid ahead of the BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfeld, with Kimi Raikkonen down in fifth, his lowest position since Monaco. Massa, who won convincingly in Istanbul, knows he now faces a fight on his hand to follow up that victory. “McLaren are very quick here, especially as they showed in qualifying,” remarked Massa. “It’s good to be top three and hopefully we can have some difference or some surprise in the race.”

Raikkonen was using the spare car after earlier walking away unharmed from a 200mph smash in final practice, with the Finn virtually destroying the original car. Raikkonen’s on-board camera showed the Ferrari veering into a wall along the Curva del Serraglio, one of the fastest parts of the circuit. His momentum propelled him a full 70 metres - narrowly avoiding two marshals - before he ploughed into a tyre barrier.

Robert Kubica starts sixth in his BMW Sauber, followed by Heikki Kovalainen for Renault, the Williams of Nico Rosberg, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, with Jenson Button 10th in his Honda. It is only the second time this season Button has qualified in the top 10, representing a significant improvement for the Briton.