Scotland star Shaun Maloney says Gareth Bale didn't dive to win penalty

THE forward was adjudged to have brought the Welsh ace down in the box...and Maloney says there WAS contact.
Shaun Maloney with Craig Levein Shaun Maloney with Craig Levein

SHATTERED Shaun Maloney last night cleared Gareth Bale of taking a dive to wreck Scotland’s World Cup campaign – and then apologised to his team-mates for the challenge which has left them down and out on the road to Rio.

The Wigan forward was left utterly crestfallen here in Cardiff after his foul on the Welsh superstar sparked the late collapse which has all but ended our hopes of making it to Brazil 2014.

Bale slammed home from the spot before crashing in a stunning second goal two minutes from time to seal the 2-1 win which means Craig Levein’s side have managed just a paltry two points from a possible nine in Group A.

But, despite television replays appearing to show Bale clipped his own heels before sprawling to the turf, Maloney was big enough to hold up his hands afterwards and accept full responsibility for the moment Levein’s last hopes ran out of town.

He said: “It was very disappointing after all the effort we put in. I’m so disappointed for everyone involved. The penalty decision swung the game in their favour and I feel awful about that. I think there might have been a bit of contact, to be fair to Bale.

“It wasn’t a challenge as such, he just ran across me and part of his legs touched mine. I don’t think he dived. It was just a coming together.

“I haven’t seen it again but I have to be honest – my gut feeling was that he didn’t dive. I’m pretty sure I didn't put a challenge in but I think there was some contact.

“It happened numerous times in the game. I tried to track back and help Danny Fox, as that was my job on the night. It’s just unfortunate that this one time he got in front of me and when he ran across me he ended up winning the penalty.

“I can only apologise to my team-mates. It’s just one of these things that can happen in a match. But it’s devastating after the effort that everyone put in and it’s something I’m going to regret for a very long time.”

And yet the truth is, Scotland were nowhere near their best last night despite taking a first-half lead through West Brom’s James Morrison.

Levein’s players lacked sparkle and conviction and allowed themselves to be pegged back deep into their own half as Bale drove the Welsh rescue mission in a rain soaked second half.

And Maloney said: “It certainly wasn’t pretty in the second half and we can play a helluva lot better than we did tonight.

“The feeling within the game was that we were actually doing okay. Up until we scored the opening goal it was reasonably even and I don’t think either team was playing that well.

“There were times in the first half when it felt like we were getting close to actually passing the ball the way we know we can. But in the second half we just weren’t ourselves. We didn’t pass the ball well enough. I don’t know if it’s a nervous thing because when we were 1-0 up we felt reasonably comfortable.

“But the moment that changed the match was the penalty. After that they had all the ascendency and their second was a helluva goal. But even then we could have done some things a little bit better in the build up to it. I don’t think that’s down to nerves. I just think the penalty changed the game.”

The result leaves Scotland in all sorts of trouble as Levein attempts to bring to an end a 14-year exile from major finals. Belgium and Croatia both won last night and sit joint top of the section on seven points apiece.

After three games, Levein’s men are second bottom – only one point better off than minnows Macedonia, who claimed their single point at Hampden.

Next up is a Tuesday night showdown in Brussels and Maloney knows another defeat there will all but wipe Scotland off the World Cup map for another four years.

He said: “Obviously things are not looking good for us now. This result tonight has turned a decent start into a bad one. It’s not been a great start points wise and now we face a very difficult game in Belgium on Tuesday night.

“Obviously, there is going to have to be a vast improvement. I can’t stand here and say that it’s over if we lose against Belgium but yes, it’ll make it an uphill task if we don’t get the win over there.

“We just need to do better as a team. Everyone needs to look at themselves – look within themselves – and come up with a little bit more.”

And Maloney knows failure to turn it all around against the red-hot Belgians will inevitably lead to calls for Levein’s head.

He said: “There is a massive sense of frustration because we like the manager and his methods but we are not getting the results. Tonight we gave absolutely everything and I hope that showed.

“Personally, the manager asked me to track back with Bale. If he asks me to do that then I will do it all night long, for as long as I can. He is a good man and you want to do it for him.

“But it’s deeply disappointing that we didn’t get the result for him and his staff.

“I didn’t actually hear the fans giving us a hard time at the end. It didn’t sound overly negative. But I’m sure it will be tonight when they are travelling home just because of the result. They’ll be on a downer too.

“But I guess as players all we can do is try to show, with the effort we put in, how much we want to play for the manager and for the jersey.

“Now we have to go to Belgium and try to put things right. A win over there would obviously give us a better chance of qualifying but I hope it’s not the case that the manager’s job is riding on the outcome of this one game.”

Taken from the Daily Record