MAN BY MAN

7 DAVID MARSHALL Was rarely tested. Had no chance with Malta’s goal during a quiet first half and proved he had remained alert when dealing with a couple of tricky situations following the break. 7 CALLUM PATERSON Stronger going forward than in defending, when he could have been tighter in closing down. He was always an aerial threat from set-pieces. Provided some excellent crosses. 7 RUSSELL MARTIN Held his ground despite being given a difficult time by Alfred Effiong, but lost the striker completely when he nipped in behind to score Malta’s equaliser. 7 GRANT HANLEY Generally solid at the back, though prone to the odd rash tackle which put Scotland under pressure. Should have scored with a header from a free kick in the first half. 7 ANDREW ROBERTSON Like Paterson on the opposite flank, played his best football going forward. His forays into the Malta penalty area provided plenty of threat and was unlucky with a low curling shot which went narrowly wide 8 ROBERT SNODGRASS Was it a cross or a shot? No matter, his long-range curler gave Scotland a great start. Always dangerous on the ball, he showed how to take the perfect penalty, and deservedly completed his hat-trick when following up after Steven Fletcher’s shot came back off the bar. 7 DARREN FLETCHER The captain was a model of quiet efficiency, directing the traffic from the middle of the field. Accurate with his passing, but could have been even more influential had he shown a bit more drive going forward. 9 BARRY BANNAN A hive of industry as he covered acres of ground. An unfussy performance, but did a ton of fetching, carrying, closing down and probing. A highly impressive performance by the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder and one of his best in a Scotland jersey. 8 MATT RITCHIE The Newcastle man provided a good service to the front men. Sent in some excellent crosses from set-pieces and his perfect balls for Martin and Fletcher’s goals were screaming to be put into the net. 7 CHRIS MARTIN A hard-working performance by the Derby striker currently on loan at Fulham. Was often frustrated when denied space but his perseverance was rewarded when he scored to put Scotland 2-1 ahead. 7 OLIVER BURKE Good early run to the bye-line showed he had not been fazed by his big build-up following his £13 million transfer. With his strength and pace posing a threat, Malta quickly began double-marking him. Substitutes JAMES FORREST Replaced Burke, 66 minutes. Quietly slotted in. STEVEN FLETCHER Replacedcmartin,68.madealateimpactwithagoal. IKECHI ANYA Replaced Ritchie, 86. Lively last few minutes.