Miller changes pitch battle Scotland's way

Scotland continued their impressive start to the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a second successive victory in the fierce environment of group B, in which they will face Italy, France and Ukraine.

Walter Smith’s misgivings about the pitch were clear as his team warmed up before kick-off. The goalmouths were remarkably muddy and ploughed for this time of year, but the fact that two club teams use this ground — one of them, FBK Kaunas, owned by Vladimir Romanov, the Heart of Midlothian majority shareholder — had not helped. However, Scotland’s complaints to the Uefa observer had apparently been heeded and the grass had been cut and rolled.

As predicted, Smith had left Kris Boyd on the bench. The Rangers striker’s record of four goals in his first three appearances had not been enough to gain a place in a formation designed to counter on the break.

Lithuania had experienced a surge of patriotic pride since drawing with Italy, the world champions, in Naples on Saturday and they almost took a swift lead here. Mantas Savenas delivered a fine corner that was turned towards goal by Mindaugas Kalones, but Gary Naysmith’s vigilance on the line denied a goal.

Scotland recovered their composure and quickly created two excellent scoring opportunities. Nigel Quashie profited from Miller’s fine work and curled in a right-foot shot that was beaten away by Zydrunas Karcemarskas, the goalkeeper. Karcemarskas then showed impressive reactions to get down to paw the ball away from the feet of Steven Pressley after the defender had ghosted in to meet Miller’s glancing header from James McFadden’s corner. McFadden suffered a calf injury when Andrius Skerla caught him from behind and he gave way to Graham Alexander after 22 minutes, and there was a further blow to Smith’s plans when Miller incurred a booking shortly before the half-hour. It was his second after being shown the yellow card against the Faeroe Isles, ensuring that the striker will miss the match against France in Glasgow on October 7.

Christian Dailly was then forced to bring down Saulius Mikoliunas, at the expense of a booking, as the Hearts player eluded him, but Savenas’s free kick was headed wide by David Weir.

Scotland were forced to make their second substitution when Quashie limped off two minutes before the interval, with Boyd being given the stage he craved. The Rangers player assumed Miller’s lone-striker role, with the Celtic forward dropping into midfield, but he had no time to threaten Lithuania before half-time.

If the hosts were seeking to taunt the Scotland fans with a medley of England football music during the interval that included Skinner and Baddiel’s Three Lions, it did not work, save for a few jeers.

However, perhaps the insult worked its way into the dressing-room psyche because Scotland re-emerged with true purpose and were ahead inside two minutes. Miller induced panic in the Lithuania defence when he burst into the area and Karcemarsarkas had to beat away the striker’s shot for a corner. Naysmith provided a hanging delivery that allowed Dailly to attack the ball and the West Ham United player rose above his markers to plant a powerful downward header between the goalkeeper and a defender on the line.

Lithuania now had to emerge from their rigid caution. Mikoliunas’s shot was deflected wide by Alexander and then Marius Stancevicius headed wide. The best chance of all was missed by Robertas Poskus, who fired a shot over the bar from ten yards.

However, this new industry left spaces at the back that Boyd ought to have punished and then Pressley came close as his head met Hartley’s inswinging free kick.

The next Scotland free kick, however, heralded the arrival of the visiting team’s second goal, in the 63rd minute. This time Gordon took it from deep in his half and the ball carried to the Lithuania area, where Miller chested it down and spun away to steer an immaculate right-foot finish past Karcemarskas.

The Lithuanians were bemused and Alexander almost scored a third as he cut in from the right wing, but his shot was kept out by the goalkeeper. Darius Miceika pulled a goal back with five minutes to go, but Scotland held on.

LITHUANIA (4-2-3-1): Z Karcemarskas — T Zvirgzdauskas, M Stankevicius, A Skerla, R Dziaukstas — M Kalonas, A Preiksaitis (sub: D Miceika, 81min) — M Savenas (sub: T Tamosauskas, 50), R Poskus, S Mikoliunas (sub: T Labukas, 66) — T Danilevicius. Substitutes not used: M Malinauskas, G Paulaskas, I Zelmikas, V Kavaliauskas. Booked: Preiksaitis, Zvirgzdauskas, Poskus,

Taken from timesonline.co.uk