GOLDEN BALLS
Scotland show class and courage to get up off the deck after series of first-half howlers
LYNDON DYKES had a howler from the penalty spot. But he wouldn’t give it up.
John McGinn missed an absolute snip to win it in the 88th minute. But he didn’t give it up either.
Jack Hendry and Scott McTominay made the misjudgements that twice put Scotland in trouble. Those two were also adamant it wouldn’t be their last act.
The grit and guts in Steve Clarke’s team is admirable.
But it’s more than that. It’s a different type of heart and courage.
Into the third minute of stoppage time, an entire stadium is screaming to the team to lump it forward. Get it into Israel’s box.
Craig Gordon throws it out. McTominay, Billy Gilmour, John McGinn, Nathan Patterson. Bump, bump, bump.
One-touch passing. No one hitting the panic button, getting it out of feet and hurling it hopefully into the box. Patiently progressing the play upfield to get it back to the brilliant Gilmour for the incisive pass into Dykes that eventually wins the corner that wins the game.
That’s real bravery. Real balls. It is style with substance and it is where Clarke’s young team are really starting to catch the eye.
Of course, the steely determination helps. The growing ability to find a way.
Seeing Clarke run down the touchline after McTominay’s winning goal like his old gaffer Jose Mourinho once did before the calves tightened up was one of the sights of the evening.
So was assistant John Carver getting torn into one of Israel’s coaching staff as arguments raged following Dykes’ second-half equaliser.
But it was seeing the team’s refusal to give it up and the way they kept their heads that was the enduring image. Their desire just to make it happen.
First signs of it came famously in Belgrade 11 months ago when, having been seconds from reaching the Euros, Serbia’s equaliser punched them in the guts.
Instead of folding, Clarke’s men got off the floor and the rest is now history.
In taking a step towards the next major tournament, those facets were again on full display.
They had to be as there were enough opportunities for them to curl up and crumble.
Dykes’ nightmare penalty on the stroke of half-time was plenty for him having already played the whole Israel attack onside at their second goal.
His response was just to get stronger. Refuse to be a fall guy.
To produce a second-half display that bullied defenders and brought him a superb equaliser – that was fully merited and rightly awarded on VAR evidence after Israeli defender Ofri Arad had originally conned referee Szymon Marciniak into awarding a foul against the striker for a high boot on Andy Robertson’s classy cross.
McGinn scored an absolute peach for Scotland’s first leveller – yet that miss near the finish could have been a moment on which to dwell as the big one that went begging in a frustrating draw.
Instead, the talisman hauled himself across to the corner flag and delivered a set-piece that was so good Hendry could have buried it before McTominay did. That finale was testament to those two also. The defensive pairing were responsible for the silly fouls which led to Israel twice taking first-half leads.
How ironic that, on the first night Austin McPhee got into the technical area, it should be the type of set-piece for which he was brought into the fold that won it when the concession of two to their opponents in dangerous territory would put the team in bother to start with.
Eran Zahavi’s free-kick strike after Hendry’s foul was sensational. Bibras Natcho’s after McTominay gave another dead-ball away led to Munus Dabbur controversially netting. MacPhee can’t teach players not to give fouls away, even if the long throws before the break being taken by Dykes of all people raised eyebrows over planning.
These issues summed up a frustrating first-half.
Should the clear handball in the lead-up to Israel’s second goal have been at least referred to the VAR?
And should visiting skipper Natcho have seen red for the challenge on Gilmour that led to the spot-kick that Dykes missed?
The answer to both is yes. But while a break or two doesn’t go amiss at key times, you have to do things for yourself at the highest level and Scotland guilty of not doing so.
Yet that’s almost what mad second-half fightback so stirrin special. Every single Scotland p stood up and turned the tide.
Sure Zahavi should have sco 2-2 with a header and sure Is decision to stick and not tw the final 20 minutes came ba bite them.
But that Scotland took advantag another massive statement about Clarke has put into this group.
Often accused of being over-cau he went risk for reward. It would
been easy to pick a natural stopper such as Liam Cooper or a Scott McKenna alongside Kieran Tierney and Hendry with Grant Hanley suspended but he went for McTominay’s ability on the ball.
With the Manchester United and Arsenal lads composed, it means possession isn’t squandered and players such as Gilmour don’t have to come back into the back three to take it.
He can get it 20 yards further up the pitch and make the type of killer pass that helped to win it.
Picking McTominay in there might arguably make Scotland weaker defensively but it was a front-foot outlook that paid back in those last 30 minutes when he was able to join his midfield colleagues and help to keep the momentum up.
Obviously, with Sir Alex Ferguson in the stands, it had to be a son of Old Trafford who got the winner in Fergie Time.
It was a glorious night and now it’s about making it count.
Scotland has completed the hardest jobs in the race for the Group F play-off spot through ability and character.
It’s now about seeing it through. On this evidence, this group just won’t accept falling short.