To fall at th e final h urdle

the opposition we would be liable to face in the play-off, is probably fair enough.

On current group standings, expect Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Greece and Montenegro to be vying with Scotland for a place.

Remember that only the eight best runners-up make the play-offs.

To battle all the way to second place, only to become the one sorry side not to get any reward for finishing runners-up would be a quintessentially Scottish fate.

Whatever happens next, though – and Slovakia at home at the start of next month is now looking a mouth-watering prospect – there are reasons to be cheerful. Plenty of them. After initial scepticism – not a single Celtic player started against Lithuania back in October – national coach Gordon Strachan has positively embraced the so- called Brendan Rodgers revolution and is reaping the benefit.

Six Celts started in Vilnius – Craig Gordon, Kieran Tierney, Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths.

A seventh example of the Brendan Effect, Callum McGregor, didn’t make the squad and could count himself extremely unlucky.

A key part of Rodgers’ high- energy, passing and pressing game – and a player who has already been capped – the 24-year-old will surely have a role to play for his country in the future.

And then there are the others, led by Andy Robertson, the Liverpool left-back who was actually rejected by Celtic as a kid for being too small.

In a perfect advert for Scottish grit and tenacity, he worked his way up from Queen’s Park to Dundee United to Hull City to Anfield and, on the evidence of Friday’s goal, he is developing i nto an outstanding internationalist.

With Robertson and Tierney on the flanks, Scotland have the makings of an outstanding back four.

However, in the centre, Charlie Mulgrew seems to drop a league a year and is getting towards the veteran stage, and Christophe Berra isn’t at the required level for top international football.

Magic up a decent young centre-half from somewhere – and here again an accidental find would be just as welcome – and the Tartan Army would really have cause to get excited.

But what a difference a game makes, and prepare for a roller-coaster ride.