CHRIS OF LIFE
Goal hero Martin leaves it late to keep our World Cup dream alive
SCOTLAND supersub Chris Martin gave a last-gasp kiss of life to the nation’s World Cup dream.
The Fulham loan striker was booed coming on but became a hero after Celtic star Stuart Armstrong set him up to snatch the winner against Slovenia two minutes from time.
The thoroughly deserved win leaves Scotland just two points behind Slovakia in second place in Group F.
Martin said: “The manager sent me on thinking I might be able to get a goal and I am delighted to repay his faith in me. Hopefully it sends the fans home happy.”
GORDON STRACHAN and Scotland aren’t giving this up. Not a chance. Not yet.
If the manager is to go out the door and the squad out of World Cup contention with him then they’re at least going to be dragged out fighting.
Last night at Hampden there was defiance – at last.
The nation still has no more than an outside chance of making Russia 2018 but at least it’s a chance.
And how fitting for Strachan it should be Chris Martin who saved the day and kept him in the job for another couple of months at least.
Booed on to the pitch when he replaced James Morrison eight minutes from time by some idiots, the 28-year-old was cheered and saluted as the hero by full-time thanks to a last-gasp winner.
Martin’s selection has been one of the biggest sticks with which Strachan’s critics have beaten him in recent times.
Yet this was vindication in the most spectacular fashion as the much-maligned hitman turned in the box and slotted home with two minutes left. Despite the lateness of the counter, the on-loan Fulham striker’s winner was fully deserved for Strachan and his team.
Sure Scotland are still big outsiders to qualify and will have to beat England in June and more to stop a slim thread connecting them to Russia snapping.
But this was a win and a big one at that – a massive victory under the most stressful pressure.
It was a victory the likes of which Strachan had not achieved in a crucial contest since the Republic of Ireland were put to the sword at Celtic Park in Euro qualifying in November 2014.
The manager and his squad were asked mammoth questions and they answered them.
They had to produce or they were out. They had to produce or their manager was likely out.
Strachan could not have asked for any more. He got his team right, got a performance and got the right result at the death delivered by a group who would not chuck in the towel. Given some of the suffering that punters have had to endure it was no wonder the stalwarts who turned up celebrated.
They deserved it. And so did the boss and his troops because they had to dig this one out almost all on their own.
Hampden was half-empty and come kick-off had the look of a League Cup semi-final involving two provincial clubs rather than a vital World Cup qualifier.
Sure a 7.45pm kick-off time on a Sunday didn’t help but it was still a desperately disheartening sight.
The players, to their credit, didn’t let it affect them. Starting impressively was key to lifting the place – and they did, like lightning.
Leigh Griffiths forced keeper Jan Oblak into an error for a corner, which – when Robert Snodgrass delivered – the Slovenia No.1 made amends by beating away a Russell Martin volley.
Kieran Tierney then had a shot deflected wide before Celtic team-mate James Forrest miscued another shooting chance. All this inside four minutes.
Russell Martin’s head met another Snodgrass corner and rocketed the ball into the net only for Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers to chalk the effort off, judging the Norwich man tugged his marker.
It felt like a last throw of the dice for Strachan as he named Tierney at right-back and five more of his Celtic colleagues in the starting line-up, including Griffiths to lead the line.
Players winning every week with their club were mixed mainly with those featuring in the English Premier League.
You could see the manager’s logic and the way his troops set about the task suggested it was the correct call.
Forrest darted behind to collect a quick Snodgrass free-kick and whipped a first-time cross over for Griffiths to glance a header wide.
The striker should have done better – worse would follow – but it was another sign of the vibrancy that hallmarked Scotland’s start.
What they needed though was a goal, something tangible to take from a fine
45 minutes – but they couldn’t get it.
Slovenia didn’t offer much. Winger Roman Bezjak drifted into space behind Tierney to smash a strike against the body of keeper Craig Gordon while Josip Ilicic volleyed over.
But Srecko Katanec’s side were frustrated. Stopper Bostjan Cesar was yellow carded for timewasting at a free-kick and could easily have seen red for throwing the ball away.
Scotland had control but the strike just wouldn’t arrive. It was almost painful to watch. James Morrison came agonisingly close with a half-volley that whizzed inches wide as they kept knocking on the door.
That it didn’t open before half-time was bordering on cruel, especially after a brilliant move that gave Griffiths a golden sight of goal.
Stuart Armstrong, earning his first cap in the engine room, and Andy Robertson combined to put Snodgrass away and his delightful dink looked meat and drink for Griffiths at the far post, letting it drop on the six-yard line only to smash his volley against the bar. It was a bad miss but the 26-year-old was robbed just moments later when Armstrong picked him out in the box and he lashed an effort against the inside of a post. Morrison also had a header cleared off the line before the interval in what was already feeling like one of those nights. It was for Griffiths, his two chances against the woodwork coming before a knee in the back from Oblak forced him off within seconds of the restart. His back wouldn’t have hurt as much as his heart over the misses as Steven Naismith took over. Despite bags of effort, Griffiths’s replacement just didn’t have the same impact. Indeed, regaining their rhythm after the restart was not going to be easy. Scotland pushed but openings were drying up. To make matters more complicated Slovenia were starting to carry an increased threat, breaking with purpose once or twice.
Mercifully they wasted their chances, although the game ticked into the last third on a knife-edge with knots twisted in stomachs at the prospect of a final fleeting opportunity disappearing.
Strachan was out in his technical area desperately trying to reinvigorate his side but you feared the players had run their race. It was becoming frantic and morale sapping. Snodgrass cracked a drive too high before going off as Strachan pitched in the pace of Ikechi Anya with 15 minutes left.
The Derby winger missed a terrific chance moments later when one-on-one with Oblak but the final drama would come from another Strachan switch.
Armstrong did superbly to surge through tackles and feed Chris Martin in the box and the sub did the rest as he turned to angle a finish into the bottom corner.
It was the most astonishing and wonderful payback to Strachan.