TALKING SCOTLAND
IN SLOVENIA
TThey never gave up hope until the referee blew the whistle to bring an end to 90 astonishing, ill-tempered but ultimately depressing minutes.
However, as has been the case far too frequently since Scotland last reached the finals of a major tournament 19 barren years ago now, all of their efforts proved to be insufficient for them to achieve their aim.
There have been a few close things since France ’98. Did any of them, though, hurt quite as much as this latest harrowing and dismal failure?
The national team will not be in the Russia 2018 play-off draw in Zurich a week tomorrow after being beaten to second place in Group F by Slovakia on goal difference as a result of this draw.
It could all have been so very different if Darren Fletcher had showed greater ruthlessness when a scoring chance fell to him in the Slovenia penalty area with 12 minutes remaining and Scotland trailing 2-1.
Yet, in truth, Scotland had another outstanding display by Craig Gordon in goal to thank for keeping their hopes of victory, and progress to the next stage of the competition, alive. The Celtic man pulled off a succession of excellent saves in a second half which the home team dominated. His team would have been beaten com- fortably without him.
That Gordon Strachan’s men had given themselves a chance of finishing runnersup in their section going into the last of their 10 qualifying matches was impressive given they had been languishing in second bottom spot after their opening four games.
But their poor start – they drew 1-1 at home to Lithuania and were thrashed 3-0 away by Slovakia in their second and third outings at this time last year – left them with just too much to do and came back to haunt them on what was another utterly wretched end to a campaign last night
THE injury-time goal which Strachan’s men allowed Harry Kane to score in the meeting with England at Hampden in June, too, proved costly.
Had they managed to protect the 2-1 lead which Leigh Griffiths’s late free-kicks had given them they would not have surrendered second place yesterday and would have achieved their objective.
Given that Stuart Armstrong, Scott Brown and James Morrison, three men who would have been automatic starters had they been fit, were all unavailable for the final match a draw was arguably no disgrace.
Their opponents had not been beaten at home in four previous qualifiers against Slovakia, England, Malta and Lithuania and had not conceded a goal in those outings.
They showed why by enjoying by far the better of proceedings. Two second half goals from Roman Bezjak at a free-kick and then a corner looked to have given them the result they were wanting.
Strachan threw on Ikechi Anya for Chris Martin, Robert Snodgrass for James McArthur and Steven Fletcher for Kieran Tierney after his side, who had taken the lead through a sublime Leigh Griffiths strike, had fallen 2-1 behind.
When Snodgrass latched on to a Darren Fletcher through ball and hooked a shot beyond Oblak and high into the net with two minute left there was a possibility, even just a slight one, that Scotland could secure the victory they needed. They certainly couldn’t be faulted for not showing any heart or fight. But the quality of the all-round display was lacking.
The spotlight will now fall on Strachan and whether he will continue in his role as Scotland manager.
Would it have been a different story if John McGinn and Callum McGregor, hungry young players who have been performing well for their club sides, had been given a start earlier? Many will think it would have. Strachan made two changes, one of which was injury enforced, to the side he fielded in the 1-0 win over Slovakia three days earlier.
Morrison dropped out after