Own-goal fall guy Christophe Berra urges Scotland to move forward

• 'We must push on to European championship qualifiers'
• Defender looking to take same attitude to Wolves

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* Dave Middleton
* guardian.co.uk, Sunday 11 October 2009 19.20 BST
* Article history

Christophe Berra Scotland's Christophe Berra stretches to clear a cross, but succeeds only in turning the ball into his own net. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

The Scotland defender Christophe Berra believes the national side must put their World Cup disappointment behind them and begin building for future campaigns.

George Burley's makeshift team lost in Yokohama through Berra's own-goal and a last-minute goal from Keisuke Honda. Scotland had already missed out on qualifying for the finals next year after their defeat last month by Holland.

"We want to qualify for every tournament we play in and it was a huge disappointment not to qualify for South Africa," said Berra. "But we have to put that behind us now and look forward to the qualifiers for the European championships and push on from there. So now we will go back to our club sides and then get ready for the friendly game against Wales, which I think we're all looking forward to."

The own-goal blighted the 24-year-old defender's impressive performance alongside the captain Stephen McManus. Takeshi Okada's side eventually ran out 2-0 winners after the Scots had held them scoreless into the last 10 minutes.

There was little Berra could have done about the goal he conceded, such was the quality of the low cross sent into the penalty area by the substitute Yuichi Komano looking to help his side climb the league table.

"Things have been going well for me at Wolves," said Berra, who joined the club in February while they were in the Championship and now looks forward to Saturday's trip to Everton. "I've been in good form but we have been a bit unlucky lately. We've played some good football and created a lot of chances but we have been caught out a few times too. But that's life in the Premier League, that's what happens. You get punished and you have to learn some hard lessons. We just have to try and keep going forward."

Taken from the Guardian/Observer