Scots are no match for classy England
SCOTLAND’S hopes of finishing their qualifying campaign with a moraleboosting flourish against the Auld Enemy were emphatically trampled underfoot in Gorgie.
Do not let the modest margin of victory for Aidy Boothroyd’s team delude anyone. For 90 minutes here, Scot Gemmill’s charges were comprehensively outclassed by an England side operating at a different level.
For all the Scots stuck to their task and were only put out of their misery by a beautiful strike by Everton midfielder Kieran Dowell in stoppage time, the fact it took them until six minutes from time to register a shot on target tells the true story.
England will wonder why the issue wasn’t settled long before then. That it took them until the 60th minute to go ahead through Reiss Nelson’s free-kick was, in itself, remarkable. They were superior in every department.
Gemmill claimed afterwards that facing such quality would stand his kids in good stead. He said: ‘To face players of that calibre at that speed is exactly what we want for our best young players.
‘We don’t like to lose or concede goals but that’s what they need — to see the speed of play and the different aspects of the game mentally, physically, tactically. It was a great experience for them.’
The defeat ends a curious campaign in which Gemmill’s side were good enough to beat Holland home and away, yet drew in Andorra and couldn’t mark Ukraine or England. Nowhere near it, in other words.
The Scotland manager was intent on going out with a bang. Shaping with a flat midfield four and Allan Campbell the link man to Oli Shaw, the Scots pressed high in an attempt to prevent England finding their rhythm. Initially, it worked to a degree.
Boasting the likes of Liverpool’s Dominic Solanke and Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and able to rest Manchester City’s Phil Foden, England had an embarrassment of riches at their disposal.
Already assured of their place at next year’s Euros in Italy, the Young Lions took some time to get into their stride but dictated most of the play thereafter.
Solanke, linked with watching Rangers boss Steven Gerrard in the summer, would have scored with an early header had ex-Ibrox player David Bates not given him a timely, telling nudge.
Abraham, who is on loan at Aston Villa, released a cannonball of a shot from a standing start which Ryan Porteous manfully repelled with his midrift.
With the Scots struggling to get out of their own half, Jay Dasilva, Chelsea’s pint-sized left-back, found Solanke with a peach of a cross. Ross Doohan in the home goal was relieved that the header was straight at him.
For all England’s dominance, the best chance of the first 30 minutes belonged to the men in Dark Blue.
Liam Smith clipped a teasing cross in from the right. With the England defence hesitant, Bates headed it on. Ross McCrorie hit it full on the volley while on the turn but, painfully, narrowly over.
Moments of encouragement, usually stemming from Lewis Morgan’s mazy forays, were a prized commodity in the minutes before the interval. By the time Solanke latched on to Dowell’s heat-seeking pass to send a header on to the roof of the Scots’ net, Gemmill’s side were begging for the half-time whistle.
Gerrard’s interest would have been piqued by the arrival of Glenn Middleton as a half-time replacement for Shaw. Billy Gilmour, the former Rangers player, showed up well but earned a booking early in the second period after his heavy touch forced him to take out Abraham.
Of more concern to Gemmill was a lengthy run down the right by Nelson which ended with the Arsenal man picking out Barnes. Doohan made a good save to his left to beat away the low shot.
There was to be no resisting Nelson’s next involvement, however. The infuriating thing from Scotland’s point of view was that as sumptuous as his opener on the hour mark was, it was entirely avoidable.
Bates’ pass to his ex-Rangers team-mate McCrorie was ill-advised. The Scotland skipper had little choice but to pull down the onrushing Dowell at the cost of a free-kick and a booking.
Nelson doubled the punishment in style. His right-foot free-kick from 25 yards flew up and over the wall before nestling in the top corner of the net.
With the deficit just one, though, hope remained. Morgan pulled a shot just wide after good hold-up play by Middleton then — in the 84th minute — the Celtic winger finally worked Dean Henderson, but the England keeper turned his shot round the post.
Normal service was resumed, though, when substitute Foden’s scorching left-foot strike was beaten away by Doohan.
With the last kick of the ball, the scoreline got a more accurate look when Dowell capped an excellent individual display by smashing a left-footer into the same part of the net Nelson had earlier found.
SCOTLAND (4-4-1-1): Doohan; Smith, Bates, Porteous, Taylor; Cadden, Ross McCrorie, Gilmour (Ferguson 61), Morgan; Campbell; Shaw (Middleton 45).
Subs not used: Robbie McCrorie, McIntyre, Mallan, Watt, Williamson. Booked: Ross McCrorie, Gilmour. ENGLAND (4-2-3-1): Henderson; Bissaka, Tomori, Clarke-Salter, Dasilva; Onomah (Foden 71), Dowell; Nelson (Sessegnon 73), Solanke, Barnes; Abraham (CalvertLewin 87). Subs not used: Gunn, Cook, Konsa, Lookman. Booked: None. Man of
the match: Reiss Nelson. Referee: Marco Di Bello (Ita). Attendance: 4,122.