Scotland stay on course
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.
