Gilmour and Tierney are small in size, high on class

BILLY GILMOUR demanded the ball and simply shrugged his mate Mason Mount aside to move it on.

Kieran Tierney rampaged down the left flank from his defensive station to create the chance which Stephen O’Donnell almost gloriously buried.

They were like the two little guys in the playground who looked at the biggest boys in their class, threw their school bags onto the deck and told them to bring it on. Small in stature. High on class. Steve Clarke’s very own London boys. Homed at Chelsea and Arsenal, they were strutting around at times like they owned the entire city.

Unsighted for differing reasons in Glasgow five days previously as Czech Republic plundered Hampden, the duo were bang in the centre of the spotlight last night and offering the nation hope.

Gilmour has just turned 20. Tierney, below, is 24.

One has already proved himself as world class. The other one has a Champions League medal and one day might get there.

It’s the sight of these boys within the set-up that just inspires confidence of future good times for Scotland.

Of course there are others. Andy Robertson is a Champions League winner, a boy like Scott McTominay has starred in a European final for Manchester United.

But it takes more than talent. It takes bottle and balls to match your skill, and Gilmour and Tierney have it.

There was a fearlessness about Gilmour, just as there has been from Tierney since his emergence.Tierney was keeping tabs on some of Europe’s best. At the same time, he was cruising up the park, flicking lobs into the box for Lyndon Dykes. It rubs off on people.

There was structure.Tierney and Gilmour were central to that. Callum McGregor also made a difference.They also mixed it up. Pride. Drive. Desire. Motivation.

There isn’t a sensible member of the Scotland fan base who would have criticised the squad had they lost at Wembley.

They just wanted their pride restored.They got it way before the end.And with Gilmour and Tierney set to be swaggering around for another decade, there will be more nights like this one.