SCOTLAND ARE IN PARADISE
Shaun stays cool to claim momentous victory for Strachan
MARTIN O’NEILL has witnessed this scenario a few times. A prostrate, anxious Celtic Park. A home team in desperate, urgent need of inspiration. Shaun Maloney stepping f orward to provide it i n quite sublime fashion.
Last night, however, the Ireland manager — a Celtic icon — found himself on the receiving end. The victim of a stroke of sheer brilliance from a former protege. A little man who conjured up a goal of enormous importance.
Truly, this was a marvellous, invigorating night for Scotland. A critical, high-pressure victory which breathed not only life, but fire, into a Group D campaign.
They denied it, of course they did. But this was a must-win game. They missed chances, too many to mention. But when the big one came with 15 minutes to play, Maloney took a delightful Scott Brown backheel and delivered a magnificent curling finish into the Irish net.
It was a strike of international quality. A cue for Tartan Army revelry before four anxious minutes of injury time.
There was even a let-off in added time, with Grant Hanley’s defensive header from Robbie Brady’s free-kick careering off the Scotland bar. Somehow, Gordon Strachan’s team prevailed, casting 4,000 raucous Irish fans into a state of suspended disbelief.
Inevitably, there were more Irishmen than there were away tickets. In Glasgow city centre they were everywhere. Wisely, they f ound a section amongst the Scotland support to accommodate visiting fans who bought home tickets.
Predictions of ‘tension’ from the FAI’s chief executive John Delaney, thankfully, proved overstated.
Predictably, there were a flurry of early boos in Aiden McGeady’s direction. The Everton winger’s early chop on Steven Fletcher went down l i ke a l ead balloon and prompted howls for a yellow card from a Tartan Army playing the role of panto audience to the full.
Ireland had a couple of early longrange shots from Jon Walters and Darron Gibson. David Marshall took them both comfortably.
The first clear chance of the game fell to Scotland — and what a chance it was.
The first – if not the last — of the night for Fletcher. In midweek, Graeme Souness expressed misgivings over the striker’s capabilities as an out-and-out scorer. His words seemed almost prophetic by the end of the first 45 minutes. Ireland’s defending was awful for Scotland’s first corner after just three minutes, Maloney’s looping ball picking out Fletcher 10 yards from goal.
Seeking his first Scotland goal in five years, the Sunderland man should have buried his free header. He should at least have hit the target. He did neither. His general play was excellent at times. His f inishing less so.
He had another chance f our minutes before half-time. It was even better than the first.
Yet again it came from Maloney’s darting invention. A whipped cross from the byeline was there to be turned in. But the striker tried to pull off the perfect finish when he had only to make contact. He just had to hit it. He failed.
Scotland’s play, for the most part, was decent in t he f ace of unexpected adversity.
Before kick- off, there was a set-back when James Morrison — a first pick — took ill.
Charlie Mulgrew resumed his midfield partnership with his Celtic captain Brown.
Hanley, missing from the 2-2 draw with Poland, also returned to the centre of defence alongside Russell Martin.
It was a bold call from Strachan but it almost looked foolhardy in j ust 12 minutes when t he Blackburn defender was lucky to escape with a yellow card after he took a poor touch then hacked down Shane Long as the striker began his advance on goal.
It was a goalscoring opportunity. However, for whatever reason, Serbian referee Milorad Mazic showed leniency.
He did so again when Jeff Hendrick clattered recklessly into Steven Whittaker after the half hour and was also shown just yellow.
The home side eked out another golden chance with some sustained pressure in the 34th minute.
Maloney was a model of invention and again it was his cross which held up invitingly for Mulgrew.
For a split second, the stadium fell silent awaiting the ripple of the net. It didn’t come as his header flew wide. Yet, as the first half finished, Scotland were working up a head of steam, but failed to score.
As the half-time whistle rang out over Glasgow’s east end, Ireland were halfway there.
Fletcher’s rather mixed night ended 10 minutes into the second half. His l i mp became evident before Strachan sent on Derby’s Chris Martin.
The Sunderland star had missed two great chances but his link-up play had been terrific. He would take some replacing against an Ireland team slowly, gradually showing more ambition.
The visitors had two chances in the opening 12 minutes of the second period.
The first saw Long — preferred to Robbie Keane — nodding a closerange effort from a John O’Shea