Scots should raise glass to deadly Dykes

PUBS and bars in most of Scotland are shut due to Covid-19 restrictions but last night’s win over Slovakia handed the nation a reason to raise a glass. And with Lyndon Dykes in the scoring form he is in, there is no reason why those glasses won’t be filled with champagne after next month’s Euro 2020 play-off against Serbia. The QPR forward netted the only goal last night to send Scotland top of their group — his fourth in his last seven games for club and country. Until then, it was a fairly drab contest, with a first half devoid of goalmouth action. In fact, Steve Clarke’s side made it a game-and-a-half without registering a shot on target. But after netting five out of five penalties in a shootout win against Israel last week, the Scots continued their efficiency when Dykes’s secondhalf strike put them ahead, latching on to a well-weighted Stephen O’Donnell cross. The goal did wonders for Scotland, who pressed for a second, with Newcastle winger Ryan Fraser pulling the strings. Liverpool left back Andy Robertson got a daft booking — he will now miss Wednesday’s visit of the Czech Republic. But that didn’t dampen Scotland’s spirits. Fraser whipped a delightful cross for Sheffield United’s Oli McBurnie, who rattled the crossbar with his header, via the keeper’s fingertips. If Scotland beat Serbia next month, they will book a ticket to their first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France. There is work to do, but the nation will be dancing on the streets if they manage it. Well, maybe the back garden will have to suffice.