Legends – for three minutes
Had Scots held out for just 30 seconds more, they would have been up there with Wembley Wizards, James McFadden’s Paris strike and Czechoslovakia. By Neil Cameron
Scotland snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat, then a win from the jaws of a draw and, finally, a draw from the jaws of a win
ALL Stuart Armstrong had to do was get one final pass spot-on He could even have lumped the ball up the park or put it out for a throw-in and that would have been it. Essentially, the best player in Scotland for the past few months could and should have done anything except what he actually did.
But Armstrong, who’d enjoyed a fine day against England at Hampden yesterday, gave away the ball from a counter-attack in stoppage time with a team-mate either side of him. Had he kept his head, Scotland might even have scored a third goal. But instead, with a tragic inevitability, Harry Kane struck to rescue a point for England.
Ah well, for three minutes world was a wonderful place.
Make no mistake, had Scotland held on for another 30 seconds to win 2-1, the victory would have been remembered alongside the Wembley Wizards, that night against Czechoslovakia in 1973, and James McFadden’s moment of genius in Paris.
Leigh Griffiths, superb all day, produced two free-kicks of world-class quality. Gordon Strachan would have taken 1-1 as the equaliser came three minutes from time. But when the striker’s second shot curled past the hapless, and it must be said hopeless, Joe Hart, it felt the impossible was becoming real.
And then we remembered we were Scottish and everyone sat back waiting for real life to come along and kick us in the head. Ach, but it’s why we keep going back to the football. Scotland snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat, then a win from the jaws of a draw and then a draw from the jaws of a win. Wha’s like us? Well, if there is anyone then I feel deeply sorry for them.
It was an extraordinary end to what had been an ordinary game of football.
England had spent some of the week with the Marines and Scotland must have endlessly watched Braveheart.
You know that big first battle scene when the English are attacking and Mel Gibson tells his lot to stand their ground, wait until the last minute and then put their spears up in what in football terms would be knowns as a last-gasp tackle?
Well, for much of this game it did seem as if Strachan’s tactic was to tell his players to hold until they saw the whites of their opponents’ eyes. Scotland sat deep, England attacked, Scotland defended, cleared their lines, England easily got the ball and repeat.
England aren’t great but if you give any team this much possession then they will probably score and when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s shot somehow went right through Gordon in the second half, the feeling among the majority inside Hampden was that was it.
“You’re just a **** San Marino” sang the England fans with a rare show of wit.
By the end, Scotland were out on their feet and perhaps that is why Armstrong, such an intelligent player, made such a hash of things. It is also understandable that the high ball into the box which led to Kane’s equaliser was not dealt with by the defenders or Gordon.
Funny things can happen to the physically and mentally shattered.
Hampden actually worked yesterday. The atmosphere wasn’t always pleasant but at least we had one.
On one side we had a bunch of angry Tory-voting Brexiteers singing songs about wars they weren’t part of and that always hilarious topic of child abuse.
And on the other were the English. Can we now end all this nonsense
about Tartan Army being barmy and cuddly when yesterday they booed a national anthem in a boorish manner which did them no favours.
Scotland started the match well. They pressed England, won four corners, none of which came to anything, and were OK on the ball.
Then England worked out Scotland’s plan, adjusted accordingly and must have enjoyed 90 per cent possession from about 15 minutes in.
Both sides missed chances. England were particularly guilty of this, and there were a few Scotland players who couldn’t get into the game.
Griffiths wasn’t one of them and neither was Kieran Tierney. The 20-year-old showed on one of the biggest stages that he is on his way to becoming one of the best players British football had produced in years.
What a performance by the Celtic man. Marcus Rashford, the next big thing in England or so we are told, wasn’t allowed a kick at the ball. It was clear who really is the next big thing.