GOOD GORD! SCOTS JOIN THE A-TEAM
Keeper Craig inspires Clarke’s braves
CRAIG GORDON was the hero for Scotland as they won promotion to Nations League A.
The appalling luck in their build-up to this showdown with Ukraine, where injury and illness wreaked havoc in the team, made for a nervy contest as they somehow survived an onslaught.
And it was 39-year-old Gordon who was at the heart of it, as he produced some fine saves to snatch a draw not so much unlikely, as seemingly impossible for much of the contest.
It was Gordon’s 30th clean sheet of his international career and it means they top Group B1 ahead of the Ukrainians, which also not only gives them a place in Pot B of Euro 2024, but guarantees a play-off place for the competition should they need it.
Depleted Scotland were forced to endure a torrid first half in a ferocious atmosphere in Krakow, where Ukraine are forced to play their international games.
Boss Steve Clarke had to seriously juggle his squad with virtually a whole side missing through illness or injury, including their captain Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Scott McTominay.
And a new-look, inexperienced line-up struggled to contain an aggressive Ukraine side, who saw three of their players booked in the opening half as they tore into the visitors.
The back four had never played together before, and with Hibs defender Ryan Porteous making his Scotland debut, it was inevitable they would look shaky in what was in effect a play-off for the right to top group B1.
They rode their luck though, surviving three massive chances for Ukraine in the opening half, and even carving out a couple of opportunities of their own despite their makeshift nature.
It was former West Ham forward Andriy Yarmolenko who offered the biggest let-off, with a glaring miss after eight minutes.
He was gifted a volley from eight yards out, but blazed over with the goal at his mercy.
Soon after Artem Dovbyk was sent racing through on goal by Yarmolenko, but didn’t get enough power on his shot as he faced Gordon in the Scots goal, allowing the veteran keeper to save well to his right.
Then Taras Stepanenko somehow sent a free header over the bar from on the six-yard line.
Not that it was all oneway traffic, with Che Adams denied early and Ryan Jack somehow scooping a left-foot shot from a corner over the bar when it seemed harder to miss. VAR also intervened to deny a penalty award after Ryan Fraser tried a speculative shot confirming the ball had come off Stepanenko’s face, not his hand.
Gordon was forced into another brilliant save, as he somehow denied Mykhaylo Mudryk.
And then he denied Danylo Ignatenko soon after, while Illya Zabarnyi again blazed over from close range.
Somehow Scotland survived a frantic finale, and no matter the performance, which was a bunch of strangers fighting an unlikely rearguard action together – they hung on to gain a massive Euro boost.
UKRAINE: Lunin 6 Zabarnyi 6, Stepanenko 6, Matviienko 7, Tymchyk 7 Ignatenko 7, Malinovsky 6, Mykolenko 7, Yarmolenko 7, Dovbyk 6 (Yaremchuk 75), Mudryk 6 (Tsygankov 75). SCOTLAND: Gordon 8, Hickey 8, Hendry 7, Porteous 6, Taylor 6 (Kingsley 72), Fraser 7 (Christie 72), Jack 6 (Armstrong 72), McGregor 7, McLean 7, McGinn 6, Adams 6 (Dykes 78)