Strikers take visitors apart

Michael Grant reports from Celtic Park as the Euro 2008 campaign kicks off with a bang

BERTI, this was what was supposed to happen the last time. Evidence of the repair work that Walter Smith has carried out on the Scotland team has been plentiful in recent months, but the restoration was epitomised by the 6-0 scything down of the Faroe Islands in the first Euro 2008 qualifier yesterday.

Surely no-one needs reminding that the last time a European Champ ionship campaign began against the trawlermen and fish farmers from the North Atlantic four years ago, Berti Vogts and his team delivered the psychological scar of a 2-2 draw.

More than 50,000 turned up at Parkhead to see the Faroese part-timers put to the sword as a Kris Boyd double and goals from Darren Fletcher, James McFadden and Kenny Miller rocketed Scotland into a dizzying 5-0 lead by half time.

By then, the record 11-0 win over Northern Ireland in 1901 seemed vulnerable, but only one further goal was added by Garry O’Connor . Even so, it was Scotland’s biggest win since an 8-0 romp against Cyprus in 1969. Scotland’s Group B campaign continues in Lithuania on Wednesday night and Fletcher should be available despite being substituted because of back and hip niggles which have been troubling him.

The second match is likely to be a different proposition altogether, but Scotland are buoyant and in an unusually prolific spell of goalscoring given that Bulgaria were beaten 5-1 in May in the Kirin Cup.

Miller finally got in on the act too. Celtic’s signing had gone 1,056 minutes – more than 17 hours – of club football without a goal since scoring for Wolves against Brighton on April 22. But pulling on a Scotland shirt was again good for him and he tucked away a penalty, but only just.

Smith’s satisfaction was dented only by the bookings for Fletcher and Miller which left the pair only one further caution away from a suspension. “Towards the end of the first half it was a bit irritating that the bookings started to occur when we were so far in front,” said Smith.

“Maybe that was a bit of naivety. Players get booked for next to nothing these days so they have to be aware of that.”

The only sour note was problems with a new entry system at Parkhead and with fans turning up later than requested by the police, it resulted in heated scenes with hundreds still outside well into the first half.

Taken from the Sunday Herald