INTERNATIONAL RESCUE

McArthur: My leveller at Hampden didn’t stop people writing us off after two games but now we can win in Vilnius to give World Cup hopes a big shot in the arm

JAMES McARTHUR reckons lots of people wrote off Scotland’s World Cup hopes after our last meeting with Lithuania despite his late goal salvaging a point at Hampden.

But the midfielder insists the campaign’s rescue mission will gather pace in the return against the Baltic nation and wants to right that wrong in Vilnius tomorrow night.

McArthur netted in the last minute of the Lithuania game in Glasgow and despite that being only the second fixture in Group F it looked like a costly two points dropped.

The Crystal Palace man admitted that 1-1 draw was a blow but the Scots have recovered and with four games to go remain in the play-off hunt for Russia 2018.

McArthur is now targeting maximum points from the trip to eastern Europe followed by the visit of minnows Malta to Hampden on Monday.

Back-to-back wins would lift Gordon Strachan’s men on to 14 points while Slovakia, currently in second spot, are on 12 points with a home game against Slovenia and then a trip to Wembley to face leaders England.

Scotland host the Slovaks before a trip to Slovenia in their final game so it could be all to play for after this double header.

McArthur said: “After the Lithuania game lots of people would have thought we were done. But we’ve put ourselves in a position where we can do it. That is what everyone is pulling towards.

“Yes, the last Lithuania game was disappointing. Scoring in the last minute meant there was a sense of relief we didn’t lose the game but at the same time we knew it was a chance for us to get three points on the board.

“Going there now we can try to make it right by getting these three points. We need to go into the game and concentrate on that. We know from playing them already that they are a good side and won’t just roll over.

“I don’t think it’s revenge as such, it’s just we need to win the games to try to get to a major competition finals. Revenge goes out the window.

“Personal battles against nations, it’s all out the window. But we can go there and take confidence from our last game against England. Being so unlucky to not get three points against a top nation like them is something we can take a lot of positives from.”

McArthur admitted the performance in the 2-2 draw against the Three Lions – when Harry Kane’s last-gasp sickener cost Scotland a precious win – has given him hope.

And the atmosphere for that match in June has made him more determined than ever to give the Tartan Army the chance to sample being at a major tournament.

The 29-year-old said: “The atmosphere when we scored those two goals against England was incredible, that’s why we need to get to the finals of one of these big tournaments.

“You watch them and look at the Irish fans, for instance, or the Welsh when they got there. That could be us, that could be our supporters.

“We need to do it for them. We need to do whatever it takes. And if that means four wins we need to do that.

“It’s not a nice feeling as a player or as a Scotland fan watching a major tournament from the outside. It’s not a nice feeling watching all the home nations get there and not us.

“It’s something you want to be involved in as a player and we want to make sure the fans get there as well.

“Now we have put ourselves in a position that probably isn’t ideal. It isn’t amazing but we have given ourselves a chance.”

And McArthur insists he has no fears over the plastic pitch where Scotland’s World Cup hopes go on the line at the LFF Stadium tomorrow night.

The former Hamilton man said: “I played on plastic for five years with Accies. It is what it is. Both teams are playing on the same pitch.

“They might be a wee bit more used to it but we are training on it to accustom ourselves to it.

“We need to do what we need to do, whether it is on a gravel pitch or Astroturf or anything.

“It’s not an issue in our minds. It’s just been built up a little bit. We are going to play a football match and it doesn’t matter what we are playing on. We have