WATCH YOUR BACKS

Griffith sis sues warning to Slovakia as Scots prepare to grab play-off place

LEIGH GRIFFITHS believes that Slovakia will be casting nervous glances at surging Scotland as Gordon Strachan’s side look primed to mount a thrilling last-ditch charge for a World Cup play-off place.

Friday’s 3-0 win in Lithuania has kept the slow-starting Scots in the qualifying frame, four points adrift of the second-placed Slovaks who face England at Wembley tomorrow.

While Group F’s top two do battle in London, Griffiths is itching to be let loose on bottom-of-the-group Malta and post a score that further puts the frighteners on our chief rivals for a runners-up berth. Success for Scotland and England would set up a Hampden showdown against Slovakia on Thursday, October 5, with Strachan’s men able to hurdle the visitors with a win and place destiny in Scottish hands before the final game in Slovenia.

‘I think Slovakia will be looking over their shoulder now,’ declared Griffiths. ‘They will know that we are coming for them. They need to go to England now and try to get something there.

‘That, as everyone knows, will be a pretty difficult job for them. Hopefully, we can take care of Malta. We can only look at ourselves, really, and not worry too much about what they do.

‘As long as we do our own job, then hopefully we won’t have any concerns. But it would be nice for England to win — we want them to do us a favour.

‘But we have to do our own job first and then, after the game, if we get that win we will look at the scores and see where we stand.’

Griffiths, two-goal hero against England in June, turned provider in Vilnius by teeing up Stuart Armstrong’s opener and assisting James McArthur to round off a convincing win with a third goal.

‘We came to get a vital three points. I am delighted we got them and also got a clean sheet,’ said the Celtic striker.

‘The manager will now pick a team that is worthy of winning that game. If I start, I will be delighted. If not, I will be on the bench ready to come on and try to score goals.’