Kids lose penalty shootout

home in their last encounter. Essentially, then, without an England goal last night, there would have been an end to Scotland’s hope that they can find a way to seize second place in their section.

The fretting about Slovak’s Wembley lead was understandable, then. “Wouldn’t it just be like the thing if they lost at Wembley for the first time in a decade when we need them not to” was the general tenor of conversation. As if England, with Slovakia only two points behind them going into last night’s game, would lose just to spite Scotland.

Instead, a 59th-minute goal by Marcus Rashford that clinched victory brought more cheers and even a chorus of “we’ll be coming down the road” from the now at-ease Scotland fans inside Hampden. Apart from Leigh Griffiths’ goal shortly after halftime there had been nothing much to excite them in front of their eyes.

When Slovakia come to Glasgow on 5 October, Scotland absolutely need to emerge victorious to retain their prospects of the great escape from this group. They also need a win by England against Slovenia, though, to blunt the prospects of a team they will travel to meet in southern Europe three days later.

That means that, as with last night, there will again be some unified British championing of international footballers from a Tartan Army desperate for Scotland and England goals in equal measure. Strange Hampden days indeed. Scotland lost on penalties to Montenegro in the third match of the international under-19 tournament in Serbia yesterday.

Celtic pair Jack Aitchison and Stephen Welsh hit the target for new coach Donald Park’s side, but, with the score 2-2 at full-time, Montenegro went on to win the penalty shootout.

The Scots opened their campaign with a 3-1 defeat against Serbia last Thursday before drawing with Ukraine on Friday.