Celtic connection sees Flower of Scotland swapped for YNWA

cab driver. There have been plenty who believe Strachan’s taxi should have been called after Slovakia and England but the manager was up for one last spin.

His side were as well – despite all the pre-match doom and gloom and the low key setting. It felt like a weird time for a kick-off. Quarter to eight on a Sunday evening just doesn’t sit right.

But that wasn’t the only sense of timing that seemed off. Fighting for your life in a campaign should come towards the end – not just before the halfway point.

Even in two decades of abject agony Scotland have usually managed to stumble on to the latter stages before the real heartache officially kicks in.

But here we were talking about must-win games with half a dozen remaining in a 10-match group. No wonder the Tartan Army looked in dire need of rallying.

Mind you, William Wallace could have addressed the troops on horseback from the centre circle and he’d be lucky to be met with anything but the sight of 33,000 collective shrugs. That and plastic seats. Hampden has a struggle to create much of an atmosphere when the place is packed out. The big shallow bowl releases noise like a slow puncture but when half of the ground is empty it becomes an even more depressing scene.

Scotland fans might have been feeling down but their team at least tried to give them a lift. Strachan promised an intensity that was absent in the brutal Canada game.

He certainly got his wish early on as Scotland had more attempts on goal in the first 10 minutes than in the previous three qualifiers.

Backs on the ropes, Strachan’s men came out swinging like a heavyweight in a hurry to catch the last bus home. The Slovenians didn’t like it up ‘em, that was for sure.

The first half was arguably the best 45 minutes of Strachan’s reign. It was full-blooded but controlled aggression. Slovenia are no mugs and have popped up at three major tournaments during our absence and have a habit of picking up decent results against solid sides.

Yet Scotland gave them a chasing in that first half. Armstrong, Forrest, Morrison and Snodgrass linked up superbly. Robertson and Tierney tore up either flank.

Griffiths was giving Slovenia’s defenders nightmares as they tried to pin him down and he was unlucky not to have sent Scotland out of sight by half-time.

Sadly he hit the woodwork instead. The second chance was a brilliant, improvised sweep but the first was one you’d have put the house on him sticking away.

There was no need for Strachan to give him a kick up the backside as Slovenia No.1 Jan Oblak did that before the break and forced him off despite a brave attempt to soldier on after it.

A sensational first half gave way to a frustrating second as Slovenia shut up shop to get the point they wanted but would have ill-deserved.

That’s until the Celtic star of the season Armstrong teed up Chris Martin, the man the Tartan Army booed on as a sub minutes earlier.

This was the night Scotland had a green and white core but found a new hero in dark blue.