Daily Mirror

PARTY ON HOLD UNTIL WE HAVE SCOT JOB DONE

- BY DARREN LEWIS England (Q) 9 7 2 0 17 3 23 Scotland 9 5 2 2 15 10 17 Slovakia 9 5 0 4 14 7 15 Slovenia 9 4 2 3 10 5 14 Lithuania 9 1 3 5 7 19 6 Malta 9 0 1 8 3 22 1

ANOTHER GAME, another crucial goal and yet more proof that Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world.

GORDON STRACHAN has revealed his Scotland players did not celebrate their dramatic late win over Slovakia – because they knew their work was only half done.

And he insisted his team, which has picked up 13 points from the last 15 to move into pole position for a World Cup qualificat­ion play-off, are determined to finish the job in Slovenia tomorrow.

Hampden Park erupted when Martin Skrtel’s last-minute own goal gave Scotland a 1-0 win to put them within 90 minutes of a two-legged shoot-out for a passport to Russia.

But boss Strachan told how the mood in the home dressing room immediatel­y after the Group F thriller was a great deal more low key.

“There was a feeling of satisfacti­on but not much more than that,” he said.

“There was no euphoria. It’s just satisfacti­on, a quiet satisfacti­on. Seriously. There was no singing and dancing and high five hand-slapping. It was really is just a glow of satisfacti­on.

“What does that tell me? It tells me they know the game in Slovenia is going to be big. That they need to be ready.

“Darren Fletcher was in there saying, ‘Right lads, we need to be prepared’. I thought, ‘Where are you going?’

“Maybe 20 years ago I’d be worried by that statement. But all we did was get back on the bus to the hotel. That was it.”

Strachan (above) said the celebratio­ns will be on ice until victory in Slovenia.

He added: “You can tell by the reaction. Thursday was great, but there’s a big one coming.”

Full-back Kieran Tierney said: “The job is nowhere near done yet. We still have a massive game to go through.”

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