Roo beauty! Jordan Rhodes and co too hot for Australia

DESPITE Craig Levein being unsure whether some players are up to the task of international football, some stars left Easter Road with their reputations enhanced.
Scotland kid Jordan Rhodes celebrates bagging his first goal for the national side Scotland kid Jordan Rhodes celebrates bagging his first goal for the national side

THEY are Craig Levein’s very own Inbetweeners.

Not quite good enough to consider themselves part of the manager’s circle of trust – but not quite as far out of it as Steven Fletcher either.

And yet last night three of them – Jordan Rhodes, Danny Fox and little Ross McCormack – all came rushing to the rescue of the very man who can’t quite decide if they are up to the task at this level or not.

They may have arrived at Easter Road as nothing more than back-up players – or even back up to the to the back-up – but all three left the place last night with reputations enhanced.

They also gave Scotland’s boss something to think about as he plots ahead for the World Cup qualification campaign.

Levein may even have thanked them on their way out after they took it in turns to slap down an Australian side who, despite their obvious limitations, had flirted with the idea of piling pressure on top of Levein at precisely the wrong time.

They even took the lead through a wonder strike from Mark Bresciano before Levein’s Unlikely Lads took matters into their own hands.

Former Celtic cast-off Fox led the way with a surprisingly impressive performance, setting up the first two Scots goals.

Rhodes netted brilliantly from one of the full-back’s crosses before half-time and when Aussie sub Jason Davidson did the same with an OG after the interval, Levein was off the hook.

Only 11,000 of Scotland’s increasingly Spartan Army had bothered to make the trip but they missed a decent, sprightly Scotland performance and also a terrific solo third goal from sub McCormack.

As international nights go, this one was a lot more encouraging than the vast sections of empty green seat suggested.

Levein’s line-up, although announced some 24 hours before kick-off, still demanded an element of head scratching.

Why no Charlie Mulgrew? It was an obvious conundrum.

And then there was the curious case of captain Gary Caldwell being shunted out of his defensive comfort zone to operate as a midfield anchor.

But despite the square pegs and gaping round holes, Levein’s men came out of the traps quickly on the slick surface.

Rhodes almost got on the end of two early crosses before James Morrison had a shot deflected behind for a corner from which Andy Webster blazed over.

It was all Scotland.

Rhodes was even closer when he did get his head on another Hutton cross but this time his effort flashed wide. Then Steven Naismith forced Mark Schwarzer into action with a 25-yarder.

But then, the first time Levein’s lot had to do some defending, they came apart at the seems.

Webster needlessly ran out of position to head a loose ball into touch and, before he could react, the throw-in was whistling over his head into the path of the lurking Carl Valeri. The midfielder raced into the acres behind Webster and from that moment on Scotland were in trouble.

Caldwell thought he had snuffed out the danger when he intercepted Valeri’s cut-back but the Aussie reacted quickly to send it back into the danger area and Brett Holman was on hand to fire at goal.

Holman’s shot was blocked on the line by Fox and it looked for all the world like a handball, penalty kick and red card but somehow the Norwegian ref saw it differently and the full-back avoided the dreaded full set.

Replays later showed the whistler had made two further blunders as the ball had gone out before Valeri cut it back and had also crossed the line before Fox’s arm kept it out.

However, while Levein took a deep breath, the Aussies were taking a quick corner.

It seemed as if Christophe Berra had dealt with it but the defender’s looping header out dropped on to the right boot of former Celtic target Bresciano.

Australia's Mark Bresciano thumps home a stunning opener from distance

In the blink of an eye, his 30-yard volley was nestling in the bottom left-hand corner of Allan McGregor’s net.

Worse was to follow as first McGregor and then Morrison limped off. Blackpool’s Matt Gilks took over in goal and Shaun Maloney replaced Morrison but these were worrying moments Levein, who may even have felt that fate was conspiring against him, along with everyone else.

But his luck was about to change as, in 28 minutes, Rhodes got the goal his early probing had promised. And what a goal.

Fox set it up superbly but the youngster still had a great deal to do, hurling himself in front of Sasa Ognenovski and powering a diving header past Schwarzer.

Although Scotland were glad to see the back of Bresciano at the break, there was the worrying sight of Scott McDonald getting stripped for action.

This, after all, is a man who is well used to ruffling Scottish nets and also a striker with a point to prove after going 25 games without an international goal.

Where better for him to start than here, on an old stomping ground? As it turned out, it was another Aussie sub, Davidson, who was to show McDonald how it’s done. He just did at the wrong end, past the wrong keeper.

Fox’s cross fizzed on to the head of the unfortunate defender who looked up in horror to see the ball fly past Schwarzer’s net.

A flurry of subs followed and McCormack wasted no time in making an impact.

Sub Ross McCormack fires in Scotland's third goal just minutes after coming on

He pounced on some ponderous Australian defending and darted towards goal, jinking one way then the other before drilling a low shot past sub keeper Adam Federici to fire Scotland to a comfortable win.

So comfortable, in fact, that Levein felt able to throw on a player from the Third Division as Rangers new boy Ian Black replaced Caldwell.

But then this was the night when Scotland’s manager learned that his back-up might be better than he had bargained for.

Taken from the Daily Record