Battling draw gives Scotland U21s fighting chance of reaching Euros
S cotland's bid to qualify for n e x t s u m m e r ' s E u r o p e a n Under-21 Championships will go down to the wire after they were made to fight back from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw with Croatia at Tynecastle.
S c o t G e m m i l l ' s t e a m a r e h o p i n g t o b e c o me t h e f i r s t group of Scottish youngsters to reach the finals in 24 years but they got off to a nightmare start as Nikola Moro and Kristijan Bistrovic fired Igor Biscan's visitors ahead.
S u b s t i t u t e G l e n n Mi d d l e - ton handed the S cots a life - line after being introduced at the break before Croatia were reduced to ten men when Borna Sosa was dismissed.
C o n n o r M c L e n n a n t h e n g r a b b e d t h e a l l - i mp o r t a n t equaliser but there was no late charge from Gemmill's team as they also found themselves a man light after Billy Gilmour was dismissed just moments after climbing off the bench.
The result leaves S cotland level on points with the Czech R e p u b l i c b u t t o p o f G r o u p 4 cour tesy of their superior head-to-head record.
T h e C z e c h s f a c e G r e e c e today while Croatia - who sit a point behind - round off their campaign against Lithuania, meaning Scotland can clinch automatic qualification with a win in Athens on Tuesday.
It was an ugly first half as both teams opted to shell the ball long and Scotland found themselves b ehind 20 minutes in.
Ryan Por teous could only g e t a s l i g h t t o u c h t o D i n a - mo Zagreb playmaker Lovro Majer's cross, sending the ball
to Moro, who cut inside Ross MCC r o r i e b e f o r e s ma s h i n g home at the near post.
A b a d s t a r t o n l y b e c a m e wor s e f ive mi n u te s l a t e r a s Daniel Harvie was caught ball watching as another long punt sailed over his head.
M a r i n S v e r k o c u t i n s i d e b u t l e f t i t t o B i s t r ov i c , who u n l e a s h e d a n u n s t o p p a b l e 20-yard drive into the top corner.
Gemmill knew he needed to shake things up at half-time
and replaced Nathan Paterson with his Rangers team-mate Middleton.
And it took just eight minu t e s f o r t h e c h a n g e t o p ay dividends as the Ibrox winger drove inside to fire in a low left-foot drive which Croatia goalkeeper Adrian Semper let squirm through his grasp and over the line.
T h e b l u n d e r wa s j u s t t h e b o ost S cotland needed and t h e y w e r e g i v e n a n o t h e r moments later when Sosa got
himself sent- off for a ridiculous kick-out at Porteous' face as they tussled on the ground.
Semper atoned for his mist a k e w i t h a s t u n n i n g o n e - handed stop to keep out Barry Maguire's strike.
Gemmill hop ed the intro - d u c t i o n o f C h e l s e a w o n - d e r k i d G i l mo u r a n d A b e r - deen's Mclennan would turn the game back in his team's favour.
It looked to be going to plan as Mclennan slotted home
from Har vie's cross to level the scores with 20 minutes left.
But Gilmour got his marching orders barely a minute later after aiming a verbal blast at Italian referee Michael Fabbri.
S c o t l a n d , h o w e v e r, c o n - tinued to push for a winner. Semper almost spilled another Middleton strike into his net while Fabbri again made himself an unpopular figure with the Scots as he turned down a strong handball appeal in the box.