Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Scots stroll in Hampden rain
Utd striker Shankland nets first goal as Scotland hit six
IN isolation, a 6-0 win over San Marino can be seen as routine and a job well done. Unfortunately, in context, it largely only serves to add a hollow three points to a Euro 2020 qualifying campaign lying dead in the water for Scotland.
With the Scots already out of contention to qualify through the conventional route, focus before the match was already on March’s Nations League play-off games which could offer Scotland a backdoor entrance into the finals.
And, with that in mind, such a success over lowly opposition was actually quite useful for a few reasons. Recapturing a long-lost winning feeling in the Mount Florida monsoon was one. Another, Scotland finding their shooting boots – hat-trick hero John McGinn in particular. Lastly, and probably most importantly, an air of confidence and swagger long missing was re-discovered.
Now this may be a very optimistic outlook, unlike the weather which soaked and almost put a halt to the game at Hampden yesterday, but a necessary one if Scotland are to go into these play-off matches with any hope of making a first major tournament in 22 years.
Yes, San Marino are, by ranking, the worst international side in the world and haven’t scored a goal in over two years, let alone won a game. However, the opposition was irrelevant. What mattered was seeing flashes of quality in our players, a working system and, as mentioned above, getting some belief back.
And, on a bleak and blustery evening in Glasgow’s south side, Scotland achieved that as boss Steve Clarke handed a Scotland debut to Kilmarnock defender Stuart Findlay, with Dundee United’s Lawrence Shankland getting his first start.
The United hitman was among those to threaten early on for the hosts with the Scots enjoying the vast majority of possession and territory in the early exchanges, with six corners in the opening 10 minutes.
Shankland, Callum McGregor, Scott McTominay and James Forrest all came close but it was McGinn who gave Scotland the lead on 12 minutes.
The Aston Villa man got the faintest of touches on Ryan Christie’s cross-cum-shot to divert the ball beyond Aldo Simoncini in the away goal and lift the tension around a sparselypopulated Hampden.
The Scots then found their encamped opponents a tough nut to crack. San Marino managed to contain Scotland and limit their chances for 15 minutes before the hosts made it two.
Again it was McGinn, this time picking up the scraps inside the box to tap home after McTominay saw his initial shot saved.
Many times the floodgates threatened to open as Scotland continued to dominate proceedings on the sodden surface. However, they had to wait to make it three.
On the stroke of half-time McGinn got his hat-trick, firing home on the turn after Christie’s corner was knocked into his path.
Conditions underfoot worsened in the second period with a lot of surface water on the Hampden turf slowing the game down in San Marino’s favour.
However, Scotland were able to battle the elements to make it 4-0 on 65 minutes.
And it was Shankland, opening his Scotland account, who got it. Following up on McTominay’s effort which came crashing down off the bar, the United striker had the simple task of stroking home with the goal gaping.
Two minutes later, Findlay connected with Christie’s corner to nod home a debut goal
Substitute Stuart Armstrong made it six with a sumptuous curling free-kick on 86 minutes to seal a result which Scotland will hope to build on.