Strachan under fire after last-gasp McArthur rescues Scotland
James McArthur rescued a vestige of Scottish self-respect with a late equaliser in a World Cup qualifier which threatened to capsize Scotland’s campaign after a numbing second-half strike by the Lithuanian captain, Fiodor Cernych.
There might even have been a wholly improbable last-second victory had the largely impotent German referee blown for a penalty kick when Leigh Griffiths was clearly barged in the Lithuania box.
Instead, the jaunty mood of the Tartan Army, who had amused themselves beforehand by comparing their 5-1 rout of Malta with England’s tame 2-0 win over the Group F makeweights at Wembley, was shattered in all too familiar circumstances.
Scotland fielded an unchanged selection for the first time in exactly five years – and a total of 38 games – since a Euro 2012 qualifying double header against Liechtenstein and Spain in October 2011.
Vaidas Slavickus soon found himself faced with a problem in the form of Oliver Burke who, although hugging the edge of the pitch, was by dint of his physique, effectively a target man for the Scots. A second Lithuanian vulnerability was also exposed within seconds of the kick-off when Andrew Robertson was tumbled by Fiodor Cernych on the edge of the penalty area. Grant Hanley met Matt Ritchie’s free-kick with a back-post header which bounced on the wrong side of the upright.
Robertson’s thrusts from left-back produced another such opportunity when he was caught by an elbow thrown by Egidijus Vaitkunas, which cost the Lithuanian defender a caution and almost the opening goal when Ritchie’s delivery was headed narrowly wide by Callum Paterson.
Manager Gordon Strachan had forecast that Lithuania would not sit supinely in the face of Scottish pressure and he was proved correct as the yellow jerseys began to materialise regularly within striking distance of David Marshall’s goal. This development induced a discernible degree of anxiety – especially when Vykintas Slivka got in for a potentially dangerous header.
Speaking about the Hampden atmosphere, Strachan observed that while the Tartan Army would supply guaranteed early support, the players would have to fuel the fans’ fervour in return.
However, as the interval approached with the contest still scoreless, Scotland’s long years of exile from major tournament finals was the backdrop to low-key grumbling in the stands which morphed into a scattering of jeering whistles when Tobias Stieler blew for half-time.
A Scottish transformation was effected by the restart, for which Darren Fletcher was replaced by McArthur, a switch which allowed Barry Bannan more latitude to step forward and the consequence was a flurry of openings, first when Robert Snodgrass met a Robertson cutback with a first-time effort that smacked off the skull of Edvinas Girdvainis.
Robertson then inspired the nearest thing to a Scottish breakthrough when he crossed for Chris Martin to glance a flick which looked certain to slip inside the far post only to skip fractionally wide. The instinct of seasoned observers of Scotland – that such profligacy is invariably punished – was duly vindicated when Lithuania netted with their first truly menacing break of the evening.
Cernych was the executioner, but Scotland’s head was placed on the block by Slivka, whose neat angled pass took Hanley out of play and fed into the gap left by Robertson’s upfield forays. Marshall chose to stay put rather than close down Cernych, who prodded home with ease.
James Forrest had replaced Burke before this turn of events but now the pressure piled upon Strachan to make the change craved by the fans and bring on Griffiths. When the substitution was duly made, the frailty of the Scots’ firepower was demonstrated by the fact that Griffiths, who had never scored for his country, now partnered Martin, a striker who had not found the net in 20 successive club outings.
It was McArthur, however, who gave Scotland a whisper of a chance to redeem themselves but, despite a frenetic finale, the home fans left amid a ferment of frustration, some of which was vehemently directed at Strachan via the conduit of social media.
Scotland (4-2-3-1) Marshall; Paterson, R Martin, Hanley, Robertson; D Fletcher (McArthur h-t), Bannan; Burke (Forrest 56), Snodgrass, Ritchie (Griffiths 70); C Martin. Subs Gordon (g), Hamilton (g), Morrison, Maloney, Anya, S Fletcher, Berra, Wallace, Tierney. Booked Hanley, McArthur. Lithuania (4-4-2) Setkus; Viatkunas, Freidgeimas, Girdvainis, Slavickas (Andriuskevicius 64); Cernych, Zulpa (Chvedukas 66), Kuklys, Novikovas; Valskis, Slivka. Subs Klevinskas, Zubas, Klimavicius, Mikuckis, Grigaravicius, Cesnauskis, Matulevicius, Verbickas, Paulius, Luksa. Booked Vaitkunas, Kuklys, Freidgeimas. Referee T Stieler (Germany).