GORD EYES A SHUT-UP SHUT-OUT

CRAIG GORDON is determined to shut out Lithuania in Scotland's second qualifier in Kaunas next month - to shut up the team-mates he'll face.

Hearts' dressing room has Edgaras Jankauskas, Saulius Mikoliunas and Deividas Cesnauskis, all of whom could play against the Scots.

Then he has team boss Valdas Ivanauskas and club owner Vladimir Romanov to contend with.

Gordon, who modelled Scotland's new goalkeeper strip at Hampden yesterday just hours after arriving back from Hearts' Champions League exit in Athens, said:"It will be hard over there. They will have a fairly strong team.

"I don't think it will be worth me going back into the Hearts dressing room if we get beaten over there.

"There will be a bit of stick handed out to the losers of that one in the at Tynecastle."

Gordon doesn't believe qualifying for the European Championship is mission impossible - although going in against the likes of France, Italy, Ukraine and Georgia represents a nightmare draw.

He missed Scotland's Kirin Cup triumph in the Far East to play for Hearts in the Scottish Cup Final but believes it will benefit the squad.

Gordon said: "It gives the team a boost going into the next campaign.

"Games we played against Italy showed we can do it. It looks positive and we are looking forward to it."

Taken from the Daily Record