Ritchie the bright spot as Scots eye the real test

FOR all the rancour and revulsion accompanying the staging of this game, purely in a football sense, Gordon Strachan will feel much the better for it.

One step up from a training game, this was all about the Scotland manager seeing some of his star performers shake off any staleness that’s crept in since the end of their domestic seasons.

Qatar made for decent if hardly dynamic opponents. Crucially for Strachan ahead of Dublin, they never lost sight of the friendly nature of the contest. Aside from the odd bump and bruise, his squad will dust themselves down and go again for the game that really matters.

If his side’s profligacy will be the main concern in the coming days, there were also positives. Matt Ritchie claimed his first international goal in three outings shortly before the break and his case for inclusion is pressing.

Craig Forsyth produced a barnstorming display at left-back while the return of Charlie Mulgrew was another boost. The Parkhead star — man of the match at Celtic Park in November — was restored to the fold in central defence alongside Gordon Greer with Ikechi Anya and Forsyth the unfamiliar faces in the full-back roles.

With James McArthur and Scott Brown in the engine room, James Forrest and Matt Ritchie provided the width for Shaun Maloney and Steven Naismith.

Keeper David Marshall was one of five English Championship players given a much- needed run- out after a five-week break from competitive action.

For all the talk of protests over the choice of opposition, there was precious little evidence of it last night. The crowd inside Easter Road may have been modest but it was never embarrassing.

Forsyth, the Derby defender, showed no signs of ring-rust from his end-of-season hiatus with an explosive dart up the flank that immediately exposed the fragility of the visiting defence. Ritchie’s snap shot was blocked by an outstretched Qatari leg.

The visitors largely relied on setplays to trouble the Scots. Skipper Hassan Al Haidous did sting Marshall’s palms with a meaty free-kick from distance.

Strachan will have been pleased with the manner in which his side manipulated the ball in tights areas. The inter-play between Maloney, Forrest and Naismith will have had the Irish taking note.

Yet it was the driving runs of Forsyth down the left that were the most productive outlets. Naismith was next to benefit from one of his cut-backs, forcing Amine Claude Lecomte - Addani to produce a fine low save to his left.

The Everton man was foiled by the Qatari keeper again at the midway point in the first half after a fine pass by Forrest, with Lecomte-Addani this time flicking the ball from under his bar.

The traffic remained largely oneway. Anya ghosted off the right flank and arrowed a shot just wide of the far post, then Mulgrew glanced a header wide from a corner. Yet another Forsyth surge to the by-line invited Ritchie to try his luck on the volley but his effort was into the turf and, in any event, off target.

Maloney was next to hold his head in his hands. Sent clear on goal after a Qatari error, the Chicago Fire striker’s hopes of lashing home the opener were thwarted by a quite brilliant tackle by Hussein Yasser Abdulrahman Mohammed.

Following a brief interruption to dispense with a professional attention-seeker — also known as a streaker — Scotland claimed the goal their efforts in the opening 41 minutes had more than deserved.

Naismith drove from deep until his attempts to penetrate the Qatari box were blocked off by a roll call of defenders.

Ritchie motored onto the loose ball and claimed his first international goal with a clean strike into the bottom corner from 16 yards.

Naismith was a post’s width away from doubling the advantage on the cusp of half-time after McArthur’s clever ball over the top but Lady Luck deserted him.

Craig Gordon and James Morris on replaced Marshall and McArthur respectively at the break, while Naismith’s frustrations in front of goal continued with a header and a shot into the side-net.

Of f ar greater significance, however, was the fact he was able to get up and walk after a nasty looking collision with the Qatari keeper that had the Leith crowd momentarily fearing the worst.

Darren Fletcher, Leigh Griffiths and Charlie Adam were afforded half an hour, with Naismith, Brown and Maloney sacrificed.

In truth the score was something of a travesty. Forrest became the latest man in white to rue his poor finishing when he launched a Ritchie knock-down over the top.

Qatar showed a little more ambition after the break. Indeed, were it not for a fine saving tackle by Anya, Abdelkarim Hassan Fadlalla, their wandering leftback, would have levelled the score. Gordon denied the same man moments later with a smart block from close range.

Substitue Johnny Russell was denied a second for the Scots by the giant arm of the Qatari keeper with the spadework on the flank coming from Morrison.

Despite the lack of goals, it was not an exercise completely without its merits.