Scotland keep World Cup dreams alive

By Roddy Forsyth at Hampden Park

If the scoring credits went to Ross McCormack and Steven Fletcher – their first at this level – an equally vital contribution was made by recalled goalkeeper Craig Gordon with a stunning double save in the final minute of normal time.

The outcome had certainly hung in the balance for a spell in the second half after Indridi Sigurdsson equalised McCormack’s opener, but Fletcher’s contribution proved sufficient to see the Scots through.

It was a happy ending to a passage that had seen the Scottish captain, Barry Ferguson, and his Ibrox team mate, Allan McGregor, dropped after an eight-hour drinking session at the squad training base on the shores of Loch Lomond.

The verdict of the crowd on the antics of the Rangers pair was delivered in a volley of boos and catcalls when their names were read out by the stadium announcer, while Gordon’s reappearance in the goalkeeper’s jersey was saluted in song and chant.

Facing opponents of similar style and technique, the Scots immediately took the game to them, but a couple of difficulties were also quickly apparent.

While it was encouraging to see the Scots force corner kicks on each flank in the first two minutes, it was also clear that the chunky Icelandic defence would not be outmuscled and were also capable of meaty challenges, some of which were on the borders of legality, though none were punished by the Austrian referee.

With brawn denied the Scots’ brain was the key to penetrating the white ramparts in front of Gunnliefer Gunnliefsson and so it was particularly frustrating when Miller pulled off the shoulder of his marker perfectly to bolt into empty acres between the back line and the goalkeeper, only to find that he had been flagged offside by the trigger happy assistant on the far side.

There were reminders, too, that although sporadic in their forays upfield Iceland carried menace and Gary Naysmith had to be alert to beet Bjarni Eiriksson to a back-post header, at the expense of a corner kick.

These counterpunches suddenly increased in frequency shortly before half-time, to the alarm of the Tartan Army, who had been subdued by their standards.

Burley, too, was agitated at the side of the pitch and he got the desired response as Scotland returned to the offensive with effect.

They almost found a way past Gunnliefsson with a thrust from Morrison which put Miller into position for a shot that deflected back towards Darren Fletcher, but as the Manchester United man was about to shoot he was crowded out on the six yard line.

A minute later, though, Scotland took the lead through a combination of their two best players. Hutton galloped along the right flank, cut into the box and cut the ball back for McCormack to meet with a curling drive that swept high into the far corner of the net.

This was exactly what the doctor ordered for drooping Scottish spirits and five minutes after the break there was almost a repeat prescription, but this time with Hutton as the man who attempted the finish as he fastened on to a rebound from his first attempt at a shot and struck a low drive that was blocked at full stretch by Gunnleifsson.

Moments later, though, Hampden was stunned when Iceland plundered an equaliser from nothing. Palmi Palmason was as surprised as most of the crowd when he realised there was a free shot available inside the box and he swept it past Gordon but off the post. The rebound cannoned straight to Sigurdsson who struck it crisply straight across the line.

Scotland, a team with few goals to their credit and without a win at Hampden Park for 18 months, were in trouble, but recovery was at hand by a means that should have brought a goal in Amsterdam at the weekend.

McCormack, who had seen one of his corner kicks headed home by Gary Caldwell against the Dutch, only for the score to be annulled wrongly, placed another pinpoint delivery on to the head of McManus.

The Celtic defender floated the ball back across the box and Steven Fletcher reacted first to head on beyond Gunnleifsson to put the Scots in front again. Scotland were forced to deal with a period of pressure from Iceland as the visitors searched for the goal that would keep their own qualification hopes alive.

Darren Fletcher could then all but have killed off any hope of another comeback when he chased a Morrison pass but Gunnleifsson was first to the ball. The Iceland goalkeeper then did well to block a thunderous free-kick from Morrison before the West Brom midfielder slotted agonisingly wide from a tight angle.

Gordon prevented a late catastrophe when he blocked from both Eggert Jonsson and Hermann Hreidarsson as Scotland managed to hold on for the win which means South Africa in 2010 remains a possibility for now. In a week when a drinking marathon dominated the headlines, the night ended appropriately with Scottish cheers.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk