Experimental Dark Blues fail to halt Peru’s great run

PERU 2 SCOTLAND 0

A makeshift and inexperienced Scotland side were beaten but not disgraced in their 2-0 loss to World Cupbound Peru at the frenzied Estadio Nacional in Lima.

It was all going pretty well for Alex Mcleish’s men until the 37th minute when Christian Cueva scored from the spot after defender Scott Mckenna had handled in the penalty area.

Lokomotiv Moscow’s Jefferson Farfan made it 2-0 from close range in the 47th minute.

Millwall keeper Jordan Archer, one of four starting debutants, looked culpable again after his misjudgment had led to the earlier penalty.

Peru are on the way to the World Cup for the first time in 36 years and in front of 40,000 exuberant home fans Ricardo Gareca’s side, ranked 11th in the world, threatened to impose more damage.

However, the Scots steadied themselves and looked solid enough while ending the night with seven new faces having made their first appearances for the national team.

It was always going to be difficult for Mcleish to shape up a team capable of giving the South Americans a real test.

After six call-offs to a squad which was already without a clutch of regulars, the former Scotland defender had nine uncapped players, including all three keepers, with Archer selected for the first time.

Kilmarnock right-back Stephen O’donnell and Hibernian duo, Lewis Stevenson and Dylan Mcgeouch, were included in a side captained by Blackburn Rovers skipper Charlie Mulgrew who, in winning his 35th cap, was the most experienced player in the team.

The Incas, on an unprecedented 12-game unbeaten run, were missing their captain Paolo Guerrero to a 14-month drug ban but had the influential Farfan leading the line.

Archer started the game strongly, diving low to his right within minutes to make a decent save from Cueva’s 25-yard free-kick.

The Scots played their way into the

game, growing in confidence with each passing minute.

Archer, though, was tested again in the 32nd minute, this time by a Farfan drive from outside the box.

But when the lokomot iv striker’ s curling shot at goal was blocked by the arm of Mckenna, after the Scotland keeper had rushed out to the edge of the box and collided with Mulgrew, Mexican referee Fernando Guerrero pointed to the spot.

Cueva fired his penalty low and hard into the corner of the net and suddenly the home side raised their game.

Archer then spilled a powerful drive from Andre Carrillo but the Scots survived. However, two minutes after the restart Archer again did not look too clever as Farfan’s shot from an Edison Flores cut-back went under his body.

The Scots had to survive a spell of hectic pressure after this.

In the 63rd minute Oliver Mcburnie and Callum Paterson replaced Jamie Murphy and John Mcginn before Celtic new boy Lewis Morgan replaced Matt Phillips to make his debut and there was a tinkering of formation.

Paterson almost found Mcburnie with a good ball to the back post, a move that encouraged the few hundred Tartan Army inside the ground.

Graeme Shinnie replaced Mcgeouch in the 76th minute to make his debut and Peru also made a clutch of substitutions.

Chris Cadden then made his debut as a replacement for Kenny Mclean – and the game ended in a disjointed way.

Now Mcleish will have to prepare for Mexico at the Azteca Stadium and a task which will be equally difficult.

Peru: Carvallo, Advincula (Corzo 86), Rodriguez, Ramos, Trauco, Tapia (Cartagena 84), Yotun (Ruidiaz 69), Flores, Carrillo (Polo 69), Cueva (Aquino 79), Farfan (Hurtado 80). Subs not used: Gallese, Santamaria, Araujo, Pena, Loyola, Abram, Caceda.

Scotland: archer,o’ donn ell, stevenson, Mckenna, Mulgrew, Mcgeouch (Shinnie 76), Mclean (Cadden 87), Mcginn (Paterson 63), Phillips (Morgan 72), Mctominay, Murphy (Mcburnie 63). Subs not used: Mclaughlin, Hendry, Christie, Russell, Bain.