Patient Scots stick to the gameplan to make winning start in Croatia

● Kilmarnock and Celtic youngsters on scoresheet in European Under-17 opener

Scotland got off to a winning start at the European Under-17 finals in Croatia thanks to second half goals from substitute Innes Cameron and Celtic teenager Jack Aitchison.

The young Scots were frustrated by a Faroes side who barely passed the halfway line, but had to wait until an hour to make the breakthrough when Cameron netted five minutes after he came on.

Aitchison, the Scotland captain, made sure of the points in the opening game in Lucko, outside Zagreb, with a quickfire second goal, before the Islanders were reduced to ten men late on.

Scotland will face bigger tests in their next two games against Hungary and France, but coach Scot Gemmill was delighted at what he saw from his side.

“I thought it was a really accomplished performance for such a young set of players to have the maturity and discipline, but also the quality, to stick to the gameplan,” Gemmill said. “They had the belief the chances and the goal would come. Lesser players or weaker teams would have panicked and started to divert from the gameplan. They showed they have the confidence to stick with it and get the result.

“We were as detailed as we could be in our preparation and we spoke about what would happen if it was 0-0 at half time or after an hour.

“We addressed it and for the young players to take that on board and execute it in this environment was really impressive.

“I was trying to think about the plans if it remained 0-0 for much longer, working out the risks we might have needed in order to win the game. That’s what you need to do as a coach. You don’t win games by just accepting what’s going on. We were ready to make the 0 Scot Gemmill: Felt his side showed great deal of maturity. substitution and thankfully it paid off.”

Scotland were dominant from the start and a lovely flick from Aitchison set up Sebastian Ross for an early chance, but he was thwarted by the legs of debutant Faroes keeper Bjarti Mork.

Aitchison then produced a fantastic reaction save from Mork after Ross set him up, but it was level at the interval.

Scotland finally made the breakthrough on the hour mark when Rangers right back Jordan Houston’s cross was tapped in by Kilmarnock’s Cameron.

Aitchison gave the scoreline a more accurate reflection of the one-sided nature when he took advantage of the Faroes’ attempts to build from the back. Scotland robbed possession and Aitchison lashed in from close range.

Faroes were reduced to ten men with nine minutes left when Asbjorn Hedinsson was shown his second yellow card for a lunge on Norwich City’s Glenn Middleston. Garth Crooks has accused Pescara of failing to sufficiently support Sulley Muntari and has called on all players in Italy, irrespective of colour, to go on strike in protest at the midfielder’s suspension.

The former Spurs striker is aghast that Muntari must serve a one-match ban after protesting against alleged racial abuse from fans during the Serie A game at Cagliari on Sunday.

Muntari, who has had spells with Portsmouth and Sunderland, was cautioned for dissent after asking the referee to stop the match, and then walked off the pitch which earned him a second yellow card.

Crooks has questioned why Muntari’s team-mates have remained silent on the issue and believes coach Zdenek Zeman’s remarks that he hopes “mentalities will change” with respect to racism was nothing more than a token gesture.

Crooks, 59, had earlier called for all black players in Italy to withdraw their services in the next round of Serie A fixtures through anti-discrimination organisation Kick it Out, of which he is a trustee.

But now he is calling for every single player to stand down in a show of solidarity with Muntari.

Crooks said: “I think it’s quite shameful no-one from the professional game is screaming about this. This is not just about black players. We’ve moved on from that. This is about players. And I’m also a little alarmed that Sulley Muntari’s team-mates have not become involved in this.

“His manager’s not said more. He’s said something, but quite frankly what he’s said is completely inadequate as far as I’m concerned. It’s about addressing racism together as black players and white players. Because that’s the only way we’re going to get past this problem in football. I’m calling for players in Italy, black and white, to make it absolutely clear to the federation in Italy that their position is unacceptable and if the decision is not reversed then they withdraw their services until it is.”

Crooks is dismayed that Fifa has kept quiet on the issue and also hit out at the Italian authorities, who banned Muntari but absolved Cagliari.