WELCOME MATT..
IT wasn’t pretty but Alex Mcleish won’t mind as Scotland bounced back from defeat to Costa Rica with a gritty win in Hungary.
Mcleish (inset) got his second spell as Scotland boss off to an awful start with Friday’s loss at Hampden Park. But last night his side showed a bit more stomach for the fight, even if it was pretty uninspiring stuff.
Their best chance of the first half came nine minutes in when Matt Phillips picked James Forrest out with a knockdown on the edge of the box but the Celtic winger dragged his shot wide.
The home side were more than holding their own for long spells early on – forcing Allan Mcgregor into a couple of handy saves from distance.
But five minutes before the break Scotland caught a break when Ryan Fraser was wiped out just inside the box as he chased down a long diagonal ball from Charlie Mulgrew.
To the fury of the home crowd Austrian ref Harald
Lechner pointed to the penalty spot and Mulgrew stepped up to place the ball.
But the skipper’s effort was lacking in conviction and allowed RB Leipzig keeper Peter Gulacsi to pull off a comfortable save down at his left.
It could have got worse before half-time had Andy Robertson not popped up on Mcgregor’s goalline to whip a Richard Guzmics’s header away to safety.
But three minutes after the restart Mcleish was celebrating a Scotland goal again for the first time since his return.
Better still, it was stand-in striker Phillips who bagged it for him.
The West Brom man had not been entirely convincing in that opening 45 minutes but he was precisely where he needed to be to connect with Fraser’s cross from the right and bury it from six yards out.
With Hungary’s confidence shaken Mulgrew let fire from distance with a shot that whistled over the bar.
Mcleish sent on fresh legs when he replaced Robertson with Barry Douglas then Stuart Armstrong with Kenny Mclean.
He needed his keeper to be on his toes again in 70 minutes though when Mulgrew allowed Adam Szalai to get a run on goal.
The big No.9 looked a certain scorer but Mcgregor stood his ground and pulled off a save with his legs to keep Scotland’s lead intact. Phillips 48