The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Scotland share spoils in stormy Euro qualifier
U21S: Strachan watches young Scots get pegged back twice against Ukraine
Jason Cummings scored one goal and created another but was twice denied a late winner as Scotland were held to a 2-2 draw by Ukraine in a European Under-21 qualifier last night.
The in-form Hibernian striker headed an equaliser just after the half-hour mark and soon set up Hearts right-back Callum Paterson inside a wet and stormy St Mirren Park.
With Gordon Strachan watching, Scotland had chances to put the game beyond Ukraine but they lost a scrappy goal with eight minutes left before a dramatic finale.
Cummings hit the bar and saw a header cleared off the line but Scotland needed a professional foul from Dominic Hyam to keep them level in injury-time as they took their points tally to five points from four games.
Bottom side Ukraine looked the sharper team in the opening stages and only a brilliant double save from Jack Hamilton stopped them taking the lead.
Scotland came back into it and Billy King curled just wide before seeing another shot saved seconds before visiting goalkeeper Bogdan Sarnavskyi made a stunning close-range stop from Liam Henderson.
A multiple passing move then ended with Cummings inches from converting Paterson’s low cross but Ukraine took the lead in the 26th minute after Reading defender Hyam lost the ball midway inside his half. Dmytroi Khlobas ran into the box and fired home.
Scotland levelled five minutes later when Cummings met John McGinn’s free-kick 12 yards out and looped a header into the top corner.
Ukraine twice came close before the hosts went ahead in the 37th minute following another good passing move. Cummings drove a cross in from the left and Paterson flicked the ball into the roof of the net from inside the six-yard box.
After Callum McFadzean and Craig Slater came on for Paterson and Dominic Love at half-time, Khlobas was played through but shot well wide.
Scotland should have put the game out of sight when Cummings threaded a brilliantly-disguised pass through for King – but the wide man elected to pass when straight in front of goal and Henderson flashed his shot wide.
Denys Bezborodko shot wide when a through-ball split Scotland’s central defence but Scotland were pegged back as they defended a corner.
A powerful strike from 20 yards hit a ruck of bodies and Oleksandr Svatok turned and fired home from six yards despite offside appeals.
Cummings soon fired Andy Robertson’s cross against the underside of the bar from a tight angle before seeing his header blocked but Bezborodko missed a glorious chance on an injury-time counter-attack.
And the same player was hauled down by Hyam after taking the ball past Hamilton on another break. The Ukraine sub got up and put the ball in the net but the referee had already blown for a foul and produced a red card.
And the hosts survived another scare when Oleksander Zinchenko hit the bar from the resulting free-kick.
Scotland coach Ricky Sbragia said: “The referee has done us a good turn by sending off Dominic and giving the free-kick. We couldn’t afford to lose.
“We basically got caught. We shouted at them to be sensible and defend well and let the forwards and midfielders do the work, instead of losing discipline and marching forward. We could have won but could have lost it.” Attendance: 2, 148. Scotland: Hamilton, Paterson (McFadzean 46), McGhee, Hyam, Robertson, Love (Slater 46), McGinn, King, Henderson, McKay (McBurnie 74), Cummings. Subs not used: Ryan Fulton, Findlay, Souttar, Shankland.